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Samaritan's pet rescue!

From the Bolton Evening News, first published Friday 24th Oct 2003.

TWO children have been reunited with their 16-year-old dog after a mystery Good Samaritan rescued her from a stream.

Cross-breed Misha had been staying with nine-year-old Liam and three-year-old Emmie Jackson's grandmother, Paula Waites, in Holmeswood Road, Lever Edge, while they moved house when she escaped.

When Mrs Waites realised she was missing at about 5pm last Thursday, she, Liam, Emmie and their mum Tracey Jackson spent the evening searching the Lever Edge area, before contacting the police.

Animal lover Mrs Waites, who has another dog -- 13-year-old Spike -- and five cats, said: "We were all so distressed. Misha doesn't know the area and is too old to go out on walks, so she didn't have a collar on."

The following morning Mrs Waites contacted the RSPCA, Leigh Dogs and Cats Home in the hope of Misha.

And later on that day Leigh Dogs and Cats Home called back to say they thought they had Misha. When Tracey went to check, she was greeted by her shaken, but uninjured dog.

It turned out a passer-by had come across Misha stuck in a stream running along Freshfield Avenue -- at the bottom of Mrs Waites' estate -- at 8pm the previous day. The police had been informed, and they had called the pet medics ambulance and the RSPCA, who had taken Misha to the home. Mrs Waites said: "The children were over the moon to have her back -- we all were. This has really restored my faith in humanity. I just wish I knew who this person was so I could tell them how grateful we are."

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