It was meant to be a peaceful spring holiday, but for a Dutch couple in the Netherlands, it turned into a months-long nightmare. Their dog Thing, an Australian Shepherd from Hungary with a playful temperament, suddenly disappeared without a trace during their stay.
Thing had been living with her new family for barely four weeks. The couple had placed so much hope in her. They wanted to finally offer her peace, to show her what it meant to be loved. But her disappearance changed everything.
160 days of hope and despair
What followed was an unprecedented search operation that lasted more than five months. Volunteers, hunters, shepherds, farmers and even a drone pilot took part in the search. Several sightings were reported, but all turned out to be false leads. Thing seemed to have vanished into thin air.
"We never gave up," says Karoline O., who coordinated the search operation. She set up feeding stations, distributed flyers and combed through miles of forest. Then, in October, the liberating news finally came: Thing is alive!
The shocking news
On 3rd October, one of the traps that had been set closed. Inside was Thing. She is safe and sound, despite months spent alone having to survive on her own.
When the rescuers pass on the happy news to the owners, something completely unexpected happens. The Dutch couple refuses to take Thing back. The reason: fear.
A new chapter for Thing
The couple fears that the sensitive Australian Shepherd might escape again. They don't want to take that risk anymore. After all those months of searching, hoping and worrying, Thing suddenly finds herself alone again.
Until a new home is found, Thing is staying with her rescuer Karoline O. There, she can rest, regain confidence and perhaps finally find her forever family.
