Penny, a very nervous Portuguese Podengo rescue dog managed to escape her dog minders in Ramsbottom on the 29 November 2022. She ran across a very busy country road where traffic had to be stopped. Her dog minder contacted us the night she went missing and advice was given. I went there the following day and set up a humane trap in the garden. Posters were put up in the area and people were spoken to to ask people to ignore her and not chase her, especially with her being such a nervous dog.
On the 1 December, Penny was seen a few times near Bleakholt Animal Sanctuary so we moved the trap to where she had been seen. But she didn’t show herself. She continued to be seen near the Fisherman’s restaurant but kept her distance from people. This was still near the trap so we remained positive that she would find the food in the trap. Scent trails were done to the trap too.
On the 2 Dec, Penny was chased by a man on a mountain bike. She was chased out of the area where she had been safe and pushed onto the main road (see video). We had reports of her running along the middle of the road but then she was seen coming off the road and going behind some houses near a field. Posters were again put up around there to warn people and to get sightings as at this point we didn’t know where she had ended up.
On the 3 Dec Penny was thankfully seen (once) heading back to her original area and feed stations were again placed. There were no more sightings that day.
Penny was then seen on the 4 Dec near a house a bit further away than her original area but it was still a safe area away from roads. We moved the trap and waited. That night, we received a message that she had been seen in Birtle. This was 2 miles away from her last sighting. Plans were made to poster the area so we could get sightings to establish if she had gone back or stayed in her new area.
The following morning, today, 5 December, she was seen in someone’s garden near to where she had been seen last night. Food was put down for her. She was exhausted and starving. As she started to eat the person in the garden managed to grab her. She is absolutely fine, just exhausted. Welcome back Penny. Stay safe little one 
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.Thank you to the team for all of your help and Lucy for postering. Also thank you to the residents in the area who helped with postering. Again, thank you to the house holders that allowed us to use their land for the trap and to the Fisherman’s restaurant for the same. Although we didn’t end up using it thank you to the other two house holders who gave us permission too to use their land. And thank you to the people who saw Penny and ignored her. This is what also kept her safe.