A beloved family dog who escaped a car crash has been safely reunited with her family after a five day search.
The family were travelling past Sheffield at junction 33 on the M1 on Saturday March 15 when at 6:45pm an alleged drunk driver collided into the car, hitting the boot and causing it to open.
Sadly, the family’s springer spaniel died at the scene. But Athena, rescue German Shepard jumped from the car. The third dog was unharmed.
Athena was previously fostered with Pawprints to Freedom and Rescue before being taken in by Mark and Michelle Storer.
Charlotte Perrin, a member of the Pawprints to freedom rescue charity, said: “The family were so heartbroken it was so traumatic for everyone.”
The search was carried out by the K9-RSQ team along with HARTSAR using drones and food to secure Athena.
Mrs Perrin described the difficult process of finding and safely securing missing dogs. She said it is a lot harder to find former street dogs, such as Athena, saying that it was important not to approach her so that professionals could form a plan to catch her.
She said Athena’s parents spent “every moment possible looking for her.”
The South Yorkshire Police issued an appeal, asking the public to report any sightings of Athena and advising them not to approach.
The search lasted for five days until a local dog walker found Athena in a field on Wednesday morning and contacted the family.
Mrs Perrin said: ” Mark and Michelle are incredibly grateful to everyone involved for helping to bring her home safe and so relieved. “
Athena is “very happy to be home and resting well,” with no major injuries following the accident.
Mrs Perrin has asked for privacy for the family as they are now taking the time to grieve for their beloved dog who was tragically killed in the accident.
Pawprints to freedom and rescue is a registered charity who rescue dogs from kill shelters and other horrific situations and rehome them here in the UK. Click the link here: Home | Pawprints to Freedom | Adopt a Rescue Dog today.
The driver, a 40 year old man, appeared in court on March 17th and has been charged with failure to provide due care and attention.
