Little Milo has finally arrived at his new Welsh home after escaping from animal handlers at Melbourne Airport in Australia and spending 17 days on the run. The Jack Russell cross had been due to fly to his new home in Swansea where his owners had relocated but escaped from a handler at the airport and took off into a nearby industrial estate.
Animal handlers spent nearly three weeks trying to find him and even used a recording of owner Jason Whatnall’s voice through a loudspeaker to try and lure him out of hiding. He was eventually found sleeping underneath a shipping container and caught with the aid of a special trap stocked with doggy treats.
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His journey back to Wales then continued and he was reunited with his anxious owners who had used social media to appeal for help from the local community in Australia. Jason had dropped Milo off for the flight, but was told 30 minutes later that his dog had escaped. He went back to search for him but had a flight to catch himself, so reluctantly left.
So he was delighted to have been reunited in their new home in Wales. The very relieved owner told local Australian news: “He was so excited to meet my partner Nick and I. The hype and everything that’s led up to this, I think it’s all been a big adventure for him.
“Getting that call that they found him was a huge sigh of relief. Obviously being in the UK, I felt quite helpless and couldn’t be there to search for Milo myself but thankfully the volunteers and community members stepped up to the plate.” For the latest Swansea news, sign up to our newsletter here
(Image: UGC)
(Image: Petraveller)
(Image: UGC)
Milo — who had lost 1.5 kilograms since going missing — was this week successfully loaded onto a plane to London and transported onto his new home in Wales where Mr Whatnall and his partner Nick were waiting.
“Milo was just crying and squeaking with delight, he couldn’t wait to get out of the cage,” Jason said. “He ran straight to Nick, we had cuddles and there’s tears flowing and he jumped right up into my arms. We did it inside a house so it was safe, so we could really release him without him taking off.”
The plan then was to spoil Milo with treats, including chicken and his favourite doggy treats. Animal rescuer Nigel Williamson and his colleague spent more than 84 hours combing the industrial estate. He said that Milo wouldn’t go near any humans and bolted when he saw people, but they perservered and lured him out.
Jason says: “We are over the moon with getting our little boy Milo back, it’s been a roller-coaster of emotions and we’re just so grateful to everyone who helped us find him!”