A grieving Angus dog owner has thanked those who did their best in the search for his beloved Jack Russell.
Jim Howe, 70, of Montrose, was blown away by the response from the public and the emergency services after six-year-old Ellie went down a rabbit hole on Friday night.
An appeal for help in the search saw people from as far afield as Stonehaven and Glasgow join the hunt at the old airfield in Montrose.
Mr Howe had been digging day and night since Ellie disappeared before her body was discovered by a specialist terrier during Monday’s search.
Mr Howe, a former vehicle technician at RM Condor, said Ellie had gone everywhere with him, including trips abroad to places such as Croatia and Greece.
He said Ellie was “the boss” of the house that he shares with his wife and four huskies.
He said: “She was small and used to love going down the rabbit holes. On Friday she went down one and just didn’t come back up.
“I couldn’t hear her after two hours but kept digging until well after midnight.
“I didn’t expect as many people to help in the search for Ellie. People came from as far as Stonehaven and Glasgow.
“We also had help from the marines at Condor, the fire brigade, the coastguard and drainage companies.
“We are all upset at Ellie’s passing but want to thank everyone for the help they gave us.”