Island rallies round to find lost dog Lily

3:27pm Wednesday 21st May 2008

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A FRANTIC chase culminated in a dramatic water rescue and a missing dog being reunited with its owner.

Crowds of people chased Lily, a west highland terrier, through Canvey town centre after recognising the missing pet from posters put up around the town.

The nervous animal headed down Labworth Road and tried to jump a dyke, but missed, meaning she had to be rescued from the water.

Her owner Wendy Bertie, 62, said: "We were beginning to give up hope, then somebody phoned to say she had seen her in Leigh Road.

"Some workmen saw her and one jumped out of the van to try and catch her, but she got away.

"Then we had a call to say she was at Thorney Bay Caravan Park, then at KFC, and then a call saying there was a westie running up the middle of Furtherwick Road in all the traffic and a man with bare feet chasing her.

"I caught up with them at the dyke to see a bedraggled little Lily, who was covered in twigs and weeds."

Lily had slipped her lead almost a week earlier while her husband Tony Bertie, 66, was walking her at King George's playing fields in Blackthorne Road. When there was still no sign of her the next morning the Berties put a classified ad in the Echo and posters all over Canvey.

Calls came rolling in from concerned islanders with sightings.

But Lily who two months ago was rescued from a puppy farm in Wales where she had been kept in a cage for five years, is nervous around people, making it even harder to catch her.

On Wednesday Mrs Bertie was contacted by Carol Robbins and her daughters Zoe, 17 and Serena, 20.

They joined the hunt and spent all their spare moments tirelessly scouring the island for lost Lily.

Mrs Robbins enlisted the help of her friends, Dave and Frank at Steve's Radio Taxis, who also kept an eye out for the dog and drove her around the island to sightings.

Mrs Bertie said: "I just don't know how I can thank everyone who helped.

"Canvey sometimes gets a bad press, but this has really reaffirmed my faith in human nature.

"Not only have I got my dog back, but I've got a new friend."