By Matthew Sims
The Narre Warren and broader Casey community has celebrated the end of a eight-day search for seven-year-old ridgeback labrador cross Pearl, which involved hundreds of locals on the lookout and more than 1400 people tracking her whereabouts on Facebook.
Owner Geoff Higgins said he was grateful for the overwhelming support he had received from the Berwick community during and after the search for Pearl.
“It was a tremendous search effort,” he said.
The Frankston South resident had given Pearl to a friend in Clyde North while he and his wife were away, with Pearl making a quick escape out of their garage door without them knowing on Wednesday 27 September.
The community sprang into action, with locals driving around searching for hours on end searching for Pearl.
Mr Higgins said he was receiving news of sightings every day, but Pearl was scared of people she did not know and was running away.
“By the time I got here, it was 40 minutes later and she had run away,” he said.
“She was very frightened.
“She was running from everybody.”
Shocking news hit the Facebook page in the early hours of Monday 2 October that Pearl had been hit by a car when she was crossing Clyde Road towards Arbourlea Estate, with another spotting shortly after on Rossiter Retreat in Cranbourne North.
On Thursday 5 October, the news everyone had been waiting for arrived, with Pearl found by locals Cheryl and Graham sitting on a front porch at a house on Alisma Boulevard in Cranbourne North.
“She’s been sleeping since Thursday afternoon to this morning,” he said.
“She lost about 10 per cent of her body weight.
“I think she was looking for chicken around the back of Hungry Jack’s.”
Pearl was found with a few cuts and grazes and her paw pads were completely worn down during her ordeal.
Mr Higgins said he was “over the moon” to reunite with Pearl.
“She’s a very loving dog,” he said.
“She is friendly and gentle.
“She hasn’t changed a bit.”
Mr Higgins said he was indebted to everyone who helped, especially Facebook group coordinator Jan.
“It was an incredible effort,” he said.
“It’s a lovely place to get lost, isn’t it?”
