Couple’s joy as Pepe is rescued
Published: May 24, 2007
A SALISBURY couple have praised the four teenagers who rescued their dog from drowning.
Admiral and Mrs Gueritz were panicked when they realised their pet Pekinese, Pepe, was missing from their garden.
But thanks to the quick thinking and kindness of Ben James, Ashley McCauley, Natalya Grice and Sian West, Pepe was back in their arms in no time.
Mrs Gueritz said: “I was gardening and Pepe always comes out with me and usually has a bit of a shout across the river to other dogs. Then I noticed it had gone quiet and I started looking for him.”
She found someone had broken the gate at the bottom of their garden - which leads to the river - and left it open.
Terrified Pepe had gone through and been swept down the river, Mrs Gueritz tried not to panic and searched the garden and the house.
She adopted him from the Dogs Trust last October - a stray who was found in very poor condition.
“He is about the best thing you could ever have and you can’t imagine how I felt. But before I had time to ring the police, there was a ring on the doorbell.”
Mrs Gueritz opened the door to find the four teenagers with a wet Pepe in their arms.
Ben James, 15, from Charlton All Saints, went into the river to rescue the dog. He and his friends were walking beside the river when they heard a noise.
“We heard this screeching noise from the bushes and then saw something rustle. We knew something was there and didn’t want it to die so I just jumped in.
“I saw this dog trying to lift itself up the river bank but it couldn’t get out. I pulled it out and we started looking for the owner.”
The teenagers rang the number on the dog’s collar but got no answer, so Ashley phoned the police and they tried to contact the owner. Then a lady who had been visiting her father told them she had heard a woman shouting for a dog from one of the houses by the river.
Ben, who goes to Trafalgar School, Downton, said: “We started knocking on doors and the first one we knocked on was hers - she was really happy.”
Mrs Gueritz added: “It was a miracle. They are such darling children and I just can’t thank them enough. Pepe is quite heavy and they carried the sopping creature all the way to the house.”
If you enjoyed this good news Subscribe to Good News Blog
If you like this, you'll love Good Animal News:
Share this
To share this simply copy and paste one of the below URL's: