Joy as missing dog turns up at Heathrow airport

Maddie the lurcher, missing for 7 months, was found wandering around Heathrow airport

SAY hello to Maddie, the lurcher found at Heathrow airport seven months to the day after she went missing from her home in East Ilsley.

Lost from her owner Sally England's home in July, Maddie was found on Friday, February 25 at Terminal five at the airport, not eyeing up the departure board or checking out after an extended break, but wandering around with three other dogs.

Her re-appearance ended seven frantic months for her owner who said that she had not stopped thinking about her or searching for her from the minute the pooch had vanished, and it had been a lesson in never losing hope.

Taken in by Airpets, the airport dog handling service, a search was made and Mrs England was quickly identified as the owner, in no small part due to the dedication she had shown in getting Maddie's details on every lost dog website she could manage.

Upon being contacted while staying in Oxford, she dropped everything and travelled to the airport immediately.

“When I phoned to say I was on the way down, the vets said they had never seen a reaction like that,“ Mrs England said.

“She was going utterly crazy, and when we saw each other she went nuts jumping up and down. I was crying. We were all crying.”

“I never once gave up hope. There were sad times when I thought that I didn't know if I would see her again but I never lost hope. Aside from thanking all the people who helped, I really just want to tell people not to give up hope if you have lost your dog.”

Six year old Maddie had contracted mange during her disappearance, and bore the hallmarks of an animal used for hunting or coarsing, according to the Airpets vets.

With a little care, and a dash of medication, Maddie is now on her way to making a full recovery, and Mrs England said it was like she had never been away.

“We got all her toys out of the shed, she's been doing all the things we used to do. It was really weird for the first few days I was out walking with her but my brain was looking at other dogs to see if they were her.

Mrs England had registered Maddie with Dog Lost, and said she wished to thank them, as well as AirPets at London Heathrow, Alfie's Lost Dogs, and Greyhound and Lurcher Rescue.