Little Pip’s big adventure

One small dog became something of a local celebrity last week.

When Pip, a rough-coated Jack Russell disappeared from her home in Cowes last Thursday evening, her frantic family put out a call on social media, desperate to find their beloved pet.

Within hours the entire Island community was on the look out for the lost dog.

Owner Steph Thornborrow put up posters in local shops, as well as appealing for help through the local community noticeboard and the Bass Coast and Phillip Island Dog Owners Association Facebook page.

She said the response was overwhelming. The family was inundated with calls and messages of support, with people sharing the posts far and wide.

The Dog Owners Association even organised a group search party for the missing pooch.

However before it could go ahead on Sunday, the family received the call they’d been waiting on.

Pip had been handed in to the RSPCA Shelter in Epping, more than 160 kilometres from home.

Steph said it’s not clear how the dog ended up in the city, but believes a glitch with the microchip registration might have added to the delay in finding her.

“When I called the RSPCA to report her lost, they asked for her microchip number,” Steph said.

“When I gave it to them, they said the registry had no details recorded against the number.”

It appears when the microchip was originally inserted, the veterinary clinic failed to register Pip’s owner details.

“I jumped on the Central Animal Registry website, filled out the form and got it linked to the microchip number straight away,” Steph said, urging everyone to check their pet’s microchip contact details were up to date.

The RSPCA staff said although the people who found Pip had taken her to a vet to be scanned on the Friday, the vet had handed her back to them, in a breach of lost dog protocols.

The lack of details on the microchip registry could have been factor.

It was another two days before she was finally handed to the RSPCA.

Whoever handed Pip in was unaware of the reward offered for her return, so the family instead donated the $1000, to the RSPCA.

It was a happy ending to a traumatic few days, with Pip home in time to enjoy her favourite dinner of lamb chops.

“I just want to say a huge thank you to everyone for sharing the posts, their comments and support and for living the journey with us,” Steph said.

“Everybody wanted to help. Thank you for your care and concern – it was so heartfelt.

“I have never felt so much a part of the community. People just rallied and I was blown away.”