A heartbroken Scots dog-owner has recalled the “unbelievable” moment her chihuahua was found in a field after two days being missing in which it was hit by a car.
Tracey Ward, 44, from Edinburgh was left devastated after her three-year-old pup Parker vanished from her friends house in Fife after being “spooked by cows”.
The 44-year-old told Edinburgh Live that Parker was playing outside before getting scared and running through a fence on Friday, October 26. After searching for hours, Tracey was relayed the heart-breaking news that her beloved pup had been hit by a car before bolting off.
The distraught mother feared her dog had died, but she believed “there must be hope” and continued to seek with the support of friends, relatives, locals, and total strangers.
She said: “I was ice skating in Kirkcaldy and we went to my friends house. The dogs were in the garden and Parker got scared of the cows and jumped through a hole in the fence. He bolted away so we zoomed up the road in a panic because we knew how fast he was. I was panicking because we had never lost a dog before. I kept looking at the fields thinking ‘oh wow this is an extremely vast area’.
“After a few hours, I was given the news that someone had hit him with their car on the Standing Stane Road – I instantly ran there and the owner said he ran into the field so we continued to search every inch for miles. I remember saying to my mum ‘I think he is dead’ but I knew there was hope somewhere.”
On the Sunday, Tracey started investigating a strawberry field in the Levenmouth area and decided to bring some sausages with her to tempt him in; it was then she discovered Parker.
She added: “There was a cottage with an abandoned shed in the field and I was going to leave some food in there to entice him in. I was trying to figure out how to get in there and I turned around and Parker had been in that area the whole time.
“He was moving so slowly towards us. I instantly picked him up in his blanket and burst into tears. He was soaking, freezing, shaking and had bright-red eyes. I got him back to the house and realised there was something wrong with his back end. There was no blood on him but he was dragging his legs along and he was massively in shock.
“I took him to the vets the next morning and we found out his right leg is not attached to his body internally and he has three massive fractures. The fact he is in my house right now is unbelievable because he is so tiny. I can’t believe he even survived a night himself.
“Everywhere I go Parker goes with me, he’s my entire world. I have never been a dog person but I got him during Covid and he has taken over my life – I am so thankful.”
Throughout the entire search process, Tracey was overwhelmed with the help she received. She said “it’s amazing how much people can come together.”
“For the full two days, I did not sleep, I did not eat. The whole experience was surreal. It was crazy and amazing how many people came together to help.
“It’s just made me want to help other pet owners as much as I can now and return the favour.”
A GoFundMe has been set up to help Tracey with veterinary costs.
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