Buddy’s buddies search for answers

A TORQUAY dog owner is still searching for his dog Buddy after it escaped from his home two months ago and seemingly disappeared without a trace.

The tall black staffy-cross with white markings was microchipped and had a phone tag when he fled under a garage door at the mans Kithbrooke Park home on September 12, but despite months of searching and social media appeals, there have been no confirmed sightings.

“The Surf Coast has one of the highest rates of dog ownership in the state and we’re usually so good at helping people reunite with their pets,” the daughter of Buddy’s owner Rowena Frost said.

“There’s quite a number of residents in that area and we thought that he would gravitate to people and other dogs, yet he’s not turned up at the pound. We feel that if anyone had found him, they would have called, so perhaps he has been stolen.”

Given her fathers proximity to nearby farmland, Ms Frost said Buddy may have made his way on to a property where he was unwelcome.

“We’re just hoping that if he’s met an untimely demise, be that on a farm where he shouldn’t have been or on a road somewhere, we’re just hoping someone can call in – even anonymously – so we can close the loop,” she said.
Ms Frost said the community had been supportive in their search.

“We used Facebook and it was really wonderful to see how much that info was shared and how people helped out with information and suggestions and even posting pictures of Buddy on other community group pages and forums,” she said.

Ms Frost said her father got Buddy from the Geelong Animal Welfare Society as a companion and a bit of a project about six months ago, but with him missing for two months they were starting to lose hope of seeing him again.

“The ranger services have indicated that there have been some unusual cases where the dog turns up months later, so there is a possibility that he might still show up somehow, we’re hopeful of that, but if someone has some information and it’s not good news, we’d still like that.

“When I’m driving around I still can’t help but look out for him.

“If you know anything about him please contact the rangers at Surf Coast Shire Council so they can pass on a message to us, this could be done anonymously,” she said.

Anyone with information about Buddy can contact a Surf Coast Shire Ranger on 5261 0600.