DOTTIE THE MOUNTAIN RESCUE SEARCHDOG

DOTTIE THE MOUNTAIN RESCUE SEARCHDOG

Sunday 29 June 2014

Busy time for us all

Its been manic here since we last spoke Dot fans.

The Penrith team had great fun at the Cumberland show - me and Angus got to play with all the children who were lining up to have a go at the zip wires and climbing wall.  We were absolutely exhausted when we finished (so was Kaz I think).

 
 
We got home really late and went straight to bed - problem was that at 0445 the next morning Kaz got woken up and heard that there was a missing runner from a race in Shap - so she started sorting that callout out at the same time as getting dressed and running round the house - I think she was a little confused which was funny as she then got a second callout from the Police for a missing man - Kaz thought they were talking about the same person and couldnt understand how the runner had gone from Shap to Caldbeck.  She called out the team and started splitting the team resources up to go to the 2 callouts.  She also woke up Kath from Kirkby Stephen to see if they could help and then she called the rest of the searchdogs.
 
Me and Kaz n Angus jumped in the car - we were going to the Shap callout first but as we were on the way it turned out he had actually retired from the race the day before but the organisers hadn't recorded it.  So we made for Caldbeck for the other callout which was a search for an 80-yr old who'd been missing overnight.  Kaz sorted out which people were searching which routes and then me and her set off.  Literally 3 mins later we got a call to say the man had been found by a farmer in a farmyard.  We went to help the ambulance people get him in the ambulance - although he'd been out all night he was still alive and was taken to hospital.
 
When we got home we did some more gardening (Angus was in trouble again for eating the top off of one of Kaz's new plants!).
 
The next day the new conservatory was getting some floor tiles which look nice but we aren't allowed to walk on them.
 
 
 
Kaz has also been busy with her DIYing and has now got very excited about building a radiator cover (blimey she really is living the high life!!).  I have added the photo cos Kaz is so proud of it
 
 
 
Angus and Kaz have been doing some training - she worked an area at Whinlatter and he followed the scent all the way to body Anne who gave him loads of food and a play with a ball (he gets more than I do when he finds people!)  It was very midgey and Angus had them all over his nose.
 



 
 
In the meantime Elly and her trainee Bracken and Dave and his trainee young Fern only have 2 more assessments to pass so we are hoping that they will all pass at the Coniston weekend in 2 weeks time - all the humans have got fingers crossed and dogs have their paws crossed too!
 
Me and Angus have been sooo busy helping out with the gardening and decorating - Angus ran himself into the ground the other night (so you can see here) - he really needs to pace himself though
 
 
On Wednesday night me and Kaz and Angus went for a run over at Haweswater - we went up to the slopes of Kidsty Howe and ran all the way back - it was a nice run and we bumped into quite a few people on the way back then watched the sun set at Mardale Head.
 
 
On Friday Kaz got asked to sort out a callout for a missing lady in Ainstable who had been out all night.  We got to Ainstable and Kaz sorted out some areas for the team and search dogs to search - she had to try and work out what the most likely places a person with Alzheimers would go.  She gave Mik and Andy and their searchdogs Ginny (my big sis) and Corrie an area called Broad Wood which was a bit away from the lady's house.  She gave Chris and his searchdog Beck 3 areas of woodland to the East of the house and we were to search a plantation north of the house with Elly and Meg when she got their.  She got the Penrith team members and also our helpers from Kirkby Stepehen to search some other areas but after about 20 mins she got  call to say that Corrie had managed to find the lady in really difficult ground in the wood and that Andy and Mik were helping her out of the area - what great news and well done Andy and Corrie.  The Police and the lady's husband were very happy that she had been found safe and sound- here's Corrie and Andy
 
 
 
On Saturday me and Kaz and Angus were off to see our friends Steve and Elaine and their trailing dog Boris.  We all went for a really long walk round some reservoirs near Bolton and as we stopped for a drink Steve got a callout for a search in Wales.  He said Kaz n us could come so Kaz could help navigate and I could be used if necessary.  We were about 5km away from the cars so had to hurry back and then we jumped into the cars and drove all the way to Llandudno and met the Police at the police station.  Steve and Boris got a pillow case and searched round where the man had gone missing whilst Kaz held back and followed.  Boris trailed all the way to the Great Orme and stopped by a view point and barked.  I couldn't be used as the ground was like cliffs here and it would be very dangerous even for an expert climber like me.  Steve got Boris to try from the other direction but he still went back to the same spot.  The police thanked us all and we started walking back to Llandudno
 
 
When we got back the police gave us some tea and as we were about to return to Steve and Elaines Steve got a call from the Bowland Pennine team leader to help for a missing person in Silverdale.  Me and Kaz were asked to come too.  It took us 2.5 hours to drive up to Silverdale and we arrived about 11pm.  Me and Kaz were given an area of woodland to the east of Silverdale and we were given a navigator called Sarah who gave me loads of fuss.  The ground was slippy and I could hear searchdogs Skye and Floss nearby.  Unfortunately we didn't find anything and we eventually got home at 3.30 this morning.  Kaz and me were tired but Angus wasn't so at 7am he woke us up barking.  Kaz let us out and fed us and then put us in the kitchen so she could go back to bed.  That didn't last long as she got a callout to help a man hit by tree near Longtown - she sorted out the team via radio and phone and they started out but got stood down as the air ambulance managed to get to him.
 
We are now keeping Kaz company as she is taking the lounge apart so that the decorating of the conservatory and the lounge can be done. 
 
We are looking forward to next weekend as me and Kaz and Angus are going away in the caravan to Norfolk/Suffolk for a long weekend of running about - hooray!
 
Anyway no doubt I'll have lots to tell soon.....
 
 
 
 

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