A dog who ran off during a holiday in Cornwall, sparking a massive search, is about to be returned to its owner after being found safe. Ozzie was reported missing by his owner Ingrid Cooke on May 10 after he ran out of her car as they arrived for a family holiday on the Lizard Peninsula.
Following a search operation that attracted hundreds of people via a Facebook page, the five-year-old terrier cross was found in Ruan Minor at about 05:00 BST on Thursday, Ms. Cooke said. The 70-year-old from Market Harborough in Leicestershire said she was “absolutely over the moon” to be getting her beloved Ozzie back.
Ms. Cooke told BBC Radio Cornwall the search party used a crate baited with some of Ozzie’s favorite treats, a blanket from his home, and clothing with her scent on to catch him. When she got the news Ozzie had been found, Ms. Cooke said: “I was jumping around the bedroom this morning laughing and crying.”
Ms. Cooke said Ozzie would be checked over by a vet on Thursday, and if all goes well, she would be heading back to Cornwall on Friday to be reunited with him. During the search, Ozzie was spotted in several places around the peninsula, including Lizard village, Cadgwith, and Coverack, before finally being caught.
Ms. Cooke praised the search party for all their work in helping to find Ozzie, saying the response has been “fantastic” and she cannot thank the people of Cornwall enough. “Some of them have been up all night manning the cameras and everything. I wouldn’t have been able to do it without them,” Ms. Cooke said. “It’s been a stressful experience, but I’m finally going to get him back.”