Louie the golden retriever is cuddly, afraid of sheep and is lost in one of Britain’s last great wildernesses.
The two-and-half-year-old therapy dog has been missing in the shadows of Ben Nevis, Britain’s highest mountain, for two weeks.
But his family — who insist he is a person, not a pet — are convinced Louie is surviving in the region’s high, grassy meadows and fields or lush shoulder-high bracken.
His owner, Louise Manson, 41, from Fort William, has managed to mobilise groups of locals — and visiting walkers — to look for the dog ever since he escaped his lead on the narrow path to Steall Falls in Glen Nevis.
“We had dog trackers in the area who picked up a scent,” she said. “And walkers say they have heard barking.”
Manson, who works at a school, said Louie “is a very clever boy” but she is still worried. “He is frightened of sheep,” she said. “And he is very wary of water. He will chase deer but I think that is because he knows he will never catch them.”
The golden retriever was bought as a companion for her eldest daughter, Ellie Lynn, 17, who is epileptic and relies on the dog. Louie can tell when Ellie is going to have a seizure or episode. The dog does not bark but goes “frantic” and fetches help.
“He is so friendly, he is bubbly, he sits on my knee like a baby,” Manson said. “He’s like one of the children. If anyone’s ill, he lies with them with his head on their chest. He’s like a person, to be honest.”
Ellie is desperate to hug Louie. “She just wants her dog back,” Manson said.
Louie’s disappearance has sparked international interest on Facebook. Manson was surprised that one of her posts — designed to alert locals — was viewed nearly 300,000 times. “I got messages from Canada and America,” she said.
Ellie is desperate to hug Louie again
Louie’s story resonates. Some people have been reminded of Homeward Bound, a 1993 live-action film by Disney about pets, led by a golden retriever, who cross wildland to find their owners.
“We have been learning about how dogs survive,” Manson said. “The meadows above Glen Nevis are vast. The higher up he goes, the more caves there are.
“I have even been leaving bits of barbecue out for him, and something is certainly eating that. People will think I am a crazy woman but we want our dog back.”
Louie slipped his lead on the narrow path to the falls on May 26, when the area was busy with an upset toddler and other walkers.
“There was a lot going on and we didn’t see where he went,” Manson said.
The local community has now raised more than £2,000 to hire professionals to look for Louie with drones.