Welcome home, Echo!
The importance of having your pet tagged cannot be overemphasised.
ECHO the dog must have been born under a very lucky star.
When the German shepherd mix went missing 18 months ago, Anita and Tobie Meyer, owners of Umtentweni Caravan Resort, thought they would never see their beloved pet again.
However, Echo was found wandering the streets of Port Edward by Inspector Ernest Zulu of the Lower South Coast SPCA. He was taken to the society’s premises and thanks to his tag, staff was able to reunite Anita and Tobie with their pet. “We couldn’t believe it…after all this time,” said Anita.
The couple arrived at the SPCA an hour after receiving the call, anxious that the dog might not be theirs.
Anita said when they arrived at the kennels, Echo recognised their voices and started barking. They were however shocked at his condition.
“He was dirty, full of ticks and so thin I could slip my hand between his collar and neck,” said Tobie.
Michael Muller, SPCA manager, said it’s believed a family in Port Edward had decided to keep Echo instead of making an effort to find his owner.
Tobie speculates that Echo followed the resort’s guard out of the gate. “A petrol attendant at the local service station told us some people had loaded the dog into their car. The attendant said he tried to stop them, but they left with the dog,” he said.
The attendant did take down the vehicle’s registration number but they were unable to trace the owner. A case of theft was opened.
Handsome Echo is happy to be home, and has quickly slipped back into his old habits at the resort, visiting – and protecting – everyone in the park.
Tobie said Echo is a special dog. “He once went with some children to play on the river bank. When the girls began making their way home, they were followed by a man.
“Echo growled at the man, and the children were ever so thankful to be protected,” said Tobie.
Since his return home, Echo has not set so much as a paw out of the yard.
Michael said this remarkable story highlights just how important it is to have tags on your animals’ collars or to have them microchipped.
