Cocker spaniel lost in Storm Boelo found in Ramsey after four days

A cocker spaniel that ran off during Storm Boelo has been found in Ramsey after four days on the loose, BBC News Isle of Man has reported.

Natasha Lapsley told the BBC that Suzie had been hers for roughly 90 minutes when the wind forced open her garden gate. She tracked the dog through Ramsey’s housing estates for over an hour, then lost her and called Noodle’s Canine Rescue (NCR) for help.

The storm brought winds of 70mph (113km/h) to the island at its height on Saturday night and into Sunday morning, according to the BBC.

NCR volunteers handed out printed flyers around the area and set up thermal binoculars and 4G wildlife cameras to try to follow Suzie’s movements. The charity said the conditions were too severe to fly its drone over the area.

NCR said it had expected Suzie to “hunker down somewhere safe” given her temperament and the weather. With no sightings for two days, it said, the search carried on “morning, day and night”.

On Tuesday a resident two estates from Ms Lapsley’s home found Suzie in their garden and got in touch. They had recognised her from the flyers and social media appeals.

Ms Lapsley said the phone call was “a huge relief”. She said she had been “overwhelmed” by the response, with strangers messaging to say they were taking their own dogs out in the area to keep watch for Suzie.

NCR said the search had exposed how little its current drone can do in bad weather. The charity is raising money for a better model capable of flying in higher winds.