Lost dog who took solo journey through Bristol dubbed as "wonder pup"

The owner of a dog who took himself on a solo journey around Bristol says she's so pleased about the positive impact their story has had.

Pip went missing after chasing some squirrels through Leigh Woods in September.

Libby Bowles searched for him after he didn't return, with many spotting him in the woods trying to find her too.

However, Pip decided to take matters into his own paws and embarked on the long journey back home.

Libby said: "One of my friends followed him on foot all the way along North Road and up to over the Suspension Bridge. Then he took the most amazing route home, that we have cycled numerous times but he's not familiar with walking.

"So he went all the way over to White Ladies Road - where we used to live - and then over The Triangle, down Park Street, around the Harbourside.

"Just recently I found out that he also took a detour around the M Shed and Wapping Wharf, with another person chasing him trying to catch him. Then over the big roundabouts at Bedminster and then across the park and home."

Libby says she posted Pip in a lost and found group on Facebook after he disappeared, where many gave her regular updates on his whereabouts.

She says that the dog community in Bristol is "so incredible": "People spotted him crossing Tyndall's Park Road, going down Park Street close to Windmill Hill City Farm and they just popped straight on the Internet to pinpoint exactly where he was. So very quickly we started to be able to piece together his journey.

"At the time I was running on adrenaline and when I finally got home after Pip did, I had friends who had run to my road - so he was greeted at home by a couple of his dog friends and their humans. He was given treats and then fell asleep standing up because he was so tired from his journey.

"I gave him a big hug and then I just started shaking and had a little cry a little bit later because it was very overwhelming; but such an enormous relief to know that he'd made it across all those roads and hadn't got hit by any cars and got home all by himself."

Libby adds that in sharing their story, a lot of people have reached out with kind messages: "He's a street dog and he's working as a therapy dog and I think it's a lovely message to be able to share with people. Being able to achieve more than anybody thinks we can.

"I've received so many messages saying 'I've was having such a rubbish day' or 'I know friends who've been having a rubbish day and I sent them the the clip of Pip and they have just been cheered up so enormously by him and just kind of really heartened by his story', so it's been really nice."

Pip is part of a scheme called Read2Dogs, where he goes into children's classes and listens to them reading. It aims to help improve literacy skills and wellbeing among children.

Libby adopted Pip from Spain in March 2019.

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