On Friday evening through the Drone SAR for lost dogs group we were notified about a little dog called Rhubarb who’d been missing since Wednesday in Macclesfield and had been spotted in Bollington previously. She was from London visiting Macclesfield with her family and was completely lost.
I immediately volunteered the services of Dronergram and started the search on Saturday morning in the South Park Area in Macclesfield due to a recent sighting. I met up with Rhubarb’s owners and we spent the day covering the park and the little park on the Moss were there had bee another sighting the day before. After a sighting on Ryles Park rd, I quickly drove Deborah (Rhubarb’s Mum) to the scene and got so close to reaching her but she was scared off and we were back to square one.
Sunday brought fresh hope with a new sighting at 6:45am on Well lane but after checking the canal and fields around well lane there was no sign. 1:45pm and we had a sighting on cloughbank in Bollington. This was close to me and it backed onto to the canal and middlewood way so I searched fields and around the area, whilst the family went to Tinkers clough/cloughbank.
7pm was the next sighting again at Cloughbank but by the time the family had got there, Rhubarb had been chased off my another dog. I walked down to Tinkers Wood that night around midnight just in case but nothing. A leaf fell next to me and I reached out my hand and it fell straight into it. I hoped this had to be a sign the luck would change for little Rhubarb who’d been out five nights now in freezing conditions.
Monday morning and I went down to Tinkers Wood again early and told the workers and offices I could see on Cloughbank about poor Rhubarb.I headed to the Canalside cafe for a much needed warm coffee and saw a new post on facebook about a sighting in Marple, 13 miles away! I called the family and they explained Tim (Rhubarb’s Dad) was going alone as they didnt want her spooked.
Knowing Tim wasn’t that familar with the area I got in my car and headed to Marple. I didnt know what vehicle Tim was in, but I somehow knew I’d find him. As I drove up a main road near hazel grove, I spotted a van at the end of the side street that looked like it wasnt properly parked. I hesitated, but something told me this was Tim. So I turned round a minute down the road and returned. I parked next to the van and Tim rolled the window down shocked and a little relieved to see me. He explained he’d just had yet another sighting but he didnt know how to get there. As I knew the area, he followed me straight to Brabyns Park and upon our arrival we were met by Carl and three members of the public. Carl had phoned in this latest sighting and he had spent an hour keeping an eye on Rhubarb as she ran around the park.
We were shown where Rhubarb was and Tim slowly approached into the woods. Rhubarb backed off and went deeper into the woods. After 20 mins I went around the back where the canal towpath was to try and visually cover this if used as an escape area. I spotted her in the woods at the back and got Tim to go in at that spot. After about 20 mins, I walked along the towpath and as I asked another person had they seen a dog, the women said they’ve got her and I ran down the towpath and around the corner in the woods was Tim holding Rhubarb! Tim was thrilled to bits and I felt so happy, we both cried. The best feeling I’ve ever had after any job. So glad Rhubarb could be driven home for Christmas 
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Tim called to thank me when they were back home in London and he was truly appreciative of how everyone in Bollington came together to help find their beloved Rhubarb. It was a great team effort and a fantastic community effort…well done Bollington, a place I’m proud to live 
