Archie

Finding Archie the Shar-pei cross.

Archie went missing from Long Jetty Late July 2020.
Sighting by owners and others – 1:30am 24/08 Killarney vale coles, can’t catch.

A few sightings on Tumbi Creek road. People had tried to catch him and chased him. By this stage he was in survival mode and didn’t recognise his owners. He just kept running away.

Then a few sightings around Mingara and the takeaway shops area. People tried to call him, catch him, lure him with food. He wouldn’t go to anyone.

After a few sightings there, we at  Milly’s got involved. We searched the area looking for signs of where he might come and go and stay during the day out of sight. We searched from the direction he had been reported coming from. 

(little bit of interesting information, it was during this time, trying to find Archie, that Lyn and Dakota first met Tracey). 

We set up a couple of feed stations and searched at night in our cars and on foot with torches. Sometimes we would see eyes, and they would turn out to be wallabies, who incidentally, seemed to like hamburgers. We sure know the ducks and magpies like all our feed station food as well, bandicoots are also often seen on our cameras, and the occasional fox. A few live photos of me trying to get a magpie out of the Missy trap. Was always fun.

We ran into a few people who had said they had sighted him. A young boy said he saw him often behind Dominos pizza. When we spoke to the staff they had also sighted him a few times out  the back of the pizza shop, but he wouldn’t go to anyone and would bark at people.

We had also sighted him on Lakedge at Berkeley Vale, running across roads and in and out of house yards. Then I lost sight of him.
So we set up cameras and a food station and he came two nights in a row at roughly the same time in the morning. Between around 3.30 – 4 am. 

Archie taught us a lot, because two weeks later, someone sighted him in Long Jetty, near Jubilee oval. We thought, no, could it be??  He had come from the direction of The Entrance. They tried chasing him to catch him, but he kept running. The owner also raced to the area.

He was then sighted again at night in the same area. We searched at night driving around and set up feed stations and cameras. Nothing. 

Then one of many nights nights we were driving around, I drove one night down to KFC as we know this boy liked to hang around fast food places. Couldn’t believe it, there he was next to the carpark at KFC at about 10pm on the 12th September. I turned the car around and he saw people walking across the road and ran. He was also  seen at 6pm on the  12th September at Fairport Ave The Entrance.

I followed quietly and slowly in the car for a bit, but he disappeared.

We all went searching everywhere trying to find him again. Tracey spoke to the grounds staff at The Entrance Memorial park and they said they had seen him there, later at night. We had some reports from people that had seen him around The Entrance between the main rd, Memorial Park and Warrigal street. 

On another day Jo and Mark spent ages putting up posters in the area.

By putting up Posters, we hit the jackpot. A man tried to ring me and also contacted a local vet. The vet also called me. The man, Rick, told me he saw a poster and knew it was the black dog that had been sleeping during the day under his house for four days. He had put food under the house for him and he was starting to eat it out of his hand, although still was scared and growling. 

We went around there and discussed Archie’s movements. And we discussed setting up the trap and cameras the next day. 

The next afternoon, a phone call came through from a lady called Jackie. Who had also seen the posters. She said she was sure Archie was in her backyard around behind the garage. She shut her gate and called us. Tracey, Jo and Mark raced to her place.

Then Tracey got down low and crawled bit by bit to Archie. He was unsure, but Tracey made him feel safe. Eventually reaching him. When she did, Archie was very relieved and snuggled into Tracey. He was such a sweet boy.

His owner was called and she came to get him and they were reunited. 

We were all so relieved that we managed to help this boy after so long.  He certainly kept us all on our toes and taught us many things along the way. 

He reaffirmed that you should never chase or try to “catch a dog”. That keeping facebook posts current and up to date all the time keeps people aware that a dog is still lost in the area and is updated with sightings.
That posters are just as important as current up to date facebook posts. 

Facebook post on Milly’s by us – September 18th, 2020 –  Archie – FOUND and home with his family 18th September 2020, after 8 weeks on the run.

Archie was lost and on the run, scared of everyone. He was sighted many times in one area in Berkeley Vale and Tumbi Umbi. Cameras were set up , food laid out by us and his owner. Sightings were messaged from time to time. We thought we would catch him. Then he disappeared again. He turned up two weeks later around The Entrance and Long Jetty. A few sightings here and there. We saw him as well near KFC. 

Then posters were put up everywhere. A man phoned in and said Archie had been coming and going from his place and sleeping under his house for four days. This man kindly fed Archie. The next day a lady phoned, called Jackie. She said Archie was in her backyard. The photos are of when he was caught and all of us had lots of pats and hugs with this very gorgeous, gentle and sookie boy. 

Then his owner turned up and the reunion was beautiful.
Found and reunited with owner. Friday 18th September, after over 8 weeks on the run.

Lyn Facebook Post 
Such a lovely boy. Feel privileged to have been trying to help find him.

So lovely to get a phone call from Jackie this morning saying he was in her yard.

Tracey weaved her magic to get his trust.

He looked so relieved to be captured.
In beautiful condition.
Wonderful work everyone. Jo, Mark and Tracey.

And a special mention to Rick who also notified us he had been feeding him near The Entrance.

Facebook Post by Jo :-Thank you everyone for your kind words. It was a long two months for the owner and 5 weeks for our group. He has not been a easy find with moving from Long Jetty to Mingara then back to The Entrance and it goes to show the importance of posters in finding lost pets.

Facebook Post by Floyd:-
Well done everyone! This is wonderful for everyone involved! I hope Archie has been grounded! What a beautiful ending to this nerve-racking journey!!! Bet Archie will sleep well tonight, as will everyone involved in his rescue. Beautiful boy.

Below is a few photos that our trail camera took of Archie behind Dominos at Mingara, where we set up a feed station, plus the camera, to make sure he was going there before we set up the trap.  Below those are two videos joined together of Archie at the feeding station on two different early mornings.