Seven days after Kye Willmott's dog Ghost ran off into coastal bushland, the pair had an emotional reunion thanks to a trick that helped coax his pet out of “survival mode”.
In a heartwarming moment captured on video, the Coffs Harbour man was reunited with his two-year-old American pit bull on Wednesday.
“It was the most beautiful experience I've ever had in my life,” Mr Willmott said.
The drama began when Ghost escaped through an open door at a friend's house in Sandy Beach on December 12.
Despite a desperate chase across the beach, the dog disappeared and was not seen for several hours when a cyclist spotted him jumping from an off-ramp above the Pacific Highway.
“He ran off limping into the bush, that was his last known location,” Mr Willmott said.
The frantic owner quickly acted on advice he received on social media, including bringing familiar scent items to Ghost's last known location.
But after four days of smelling like bacon and eggs, and with a voice raw from repeatedly calling Ghost's name, Mr Willmott felt like he was getting nowhere.
Kye Willmott and his two-year-old American pit bull Ghost. (Supplied: Kye Willmott)
‘Stuck in survival mode'
Posting to social media in the hope of borrowing a device to capture his lost dog, he was contacted by volunteer animal tracker Annette Ross.
“She explained that I didn't need a dog trap, [because Ghost] was stuck in survival mode,” he said.
Ms Ross describes “survival mode” as a fight-or-flight reflex that lost domesticated dogs enter while in a heightened state of anxiety.
“They bring a shutter down on their brain, the first instinct is to hide,” she said.
“If you call a dog in survival mode, you just push them further, they won't respond to voice.”
Instead of calling his name, she instructed Mr Willmott to continue bringing scent items to the area and set routine times for his searches.
Mr Willmott was contacted by council rangers who had spotted Ghost at the scene three days later.
After rushing to the location, he finally made contact with his lost dog.
Kye Willmott says tips from an animal tracker helped him reunite with his pet. (Supplied: Kye Willmott)
Ghost appeared scared and on the verge of bolting away again, but Ms Ross provided instructions via speaker phone and Mr Willmott was eventually able to coax his lost pet into approaching him.
“He was just limping towards me, and then he finally came into my arms and I touched him,” he said.
“That's when he fully snapped out of it.”
Pet anxiety
Veterinarian and former president of the Animal Veterinary Association, Dr Diana Barker, said it was common for dogs experiencing anxiety to react adversely to owners loudly calling their names.
“As people, we panic in these types of situations,” she said
“We shout, but saying their names in a normal tone softly can be better than yelling.”
After being found, Ghost received treatment for minor injuries at a veterinary clinic in Coffs Harbour. (Supplied: Kye Willmott)
With anxiety triggers like thunderstorms and fireworks expected across the upcoming summer holidays, Dr Barker said pet owners should remember to use calm language when searching for lost dogs.
“They just want to be safe … taking that slow, calm approach can really help.”
