‘Raven had only been with us 36 hours when she bolted.
We’d adopted her from German Shepherd Rescue Scotland and she was barely two years old.
It was a cold night when I took her for a walk. I slipped on ice, and she took off.
She was just so terrified and timid. She didn’t really know us – she hadn’t had time to settle in.
We spent the next 13 days looking for her. She was hiding out all over the Fife countryside.
Where did Raven go?
The trouble was, by the time we got to wherever there’d been sightings – St Andrews, Blebo Craigs, Pitscottie, Hill of Tarvit and beyond – she was gone.
I spent a day in St Andrews looking on all the golf courses and talking to locals.
They gave us the idea of getting on to social media, joining dog searching groups, and making up ‘missing dog’ posters online.
On the third day, when my wife Melanie, 45, a mortgage advisor, and daughter Nicole, 27, were out looking with me, we met Alma Kettles and Sue Forrester.
Both were so helpful and took it upon themselves to help us find Raven.
I’m a soldier – my role at the time was sergeant in the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards based at Leuchars.
Paul was out searching at all hours
I was off work but went out looking for her in the early hours of the morning.
I just felt so rotten. We’d taken on this rescue dog and she was so small and timid. I felt it was my duty to find her.
Things started to snowball. Sue set up a Facebook page to find Raven which had 2,000 followers at one point.
Half of Fife was out looking for her. People were searching a 20 square mile radius of Leuchars.
There were people out with thermal drones and day sight drones – notably Sunny Ferns and Jamie Shutler from Leuchars, and Jamie Donaldson from Auchterarder.
We kept getting calls from people who’d seen her. We went to nearly every farm in the area to ask farmers not to shoot her.
A runner, Kieran Baillie, tracked Raven for about 10 miles near Pitscottie, and then worked out she was in Cairngreen Wood near Cupar.
That’s about seven miles from our home in Leuchars.
How was Raven eventually found?
We set up Wi-Fi cameras with night vision in the forest, put down loads of food and set a trap from All4Paws Fife, a voluntary group which aims to reunite owners with their missing dogs.
We were watching Raven – live – on the first night when she went into the trap. But we couldn’t believe it when it didn’t activate – and she bolted!
We went back, re-laid food, and watched.
And to our absolute joy, she showed up again on the second night – and was caught in the trap!
It was Sue’s friend Bob Grant who was first at the scene. He opened the cage to get a bit of warmth and love into her, and to keep her calm.
We were only 15 minutes behind, and got a lift up in a 4×4 with Lucy and John from Hilltarvit Mains Farm.
What condition was Raven in?
She was totally emaciated and exhausted. You could see her ribs and hips. She’d become semi-feral – the poor thing was so scared.
We reckon she survived by eating sheep and cow dung, and maybe even her own faeces. It’s possible she got into horse stables and ate their feed, too.
She was missing in January and it was so cold and frosty that we feared she might not have made it.
But we think she was hiding under gorse bushes near Pitscottie for a week or so, and that would’ve given some shelter.
We took her to the Provost Vets in St Andrews and they kindly gave her a free health check.
How does the future look for Raven?
She’s happy and healthy – she’s grown so much and put on weight. It’s a joy to see after what she went through. We all love her to bits.
We don’t think she’d run away again, but there’s always that fear if she gets startled.
She’s got a harness and tracker and is tied to me on a belt if we go out because she’s reactionary.
We’re just so grateful for the amazing people who gave up their time to help find Raven.
Sue and Alma were the driving force behind the whole operation – they played a massive part in Raven’s rescue.
If it wasn’t for them we might not have been so lucky.
Generosity of community shone through
While Raven was missing, people were keen to make donations to help.
Ultimately, we fundraised £3,000, which we then gave to All4Paws Fife.
It means they can spend that money on finding other dogs and equipment like thermal camera and collapsible traps.
We’re just so grateful – and over-the-moon to have Raven back.
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