Wondering off after chasing squirrels, Pip, a dog who has been dubbed 'wonder pup' walked himself home an amazing five miles across Bristol. On September 18, whilst his owner searched for Pip high and low, the pup took to the streets not phased by the mission to return home alone.
Libby Bowles, 47 said: "The thing is, he's very calm and placid unless there's something furry to chase. He's run off before but he's always come back, so when he didn't I was quite worried.
"I spent an hour going up and down our walking route looking for him, and luckily ran into some friends who went round to the other side of the woods to see if they could find him. They actually did see him, but then at the last minute he zipped away from them under a fence."
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Hearing the story on Good Morning Britain, presenter Ben Shepherd, told of his dog having much the same experience as Pip in Cornwall after a visit. He told audiences about how after his dog had run off on a walk later making it's way home alone arriving in the middle of the night.
Pip was caught on several CCTV cameras during his almost five mile walk home which took him 90 minutes, he even walked across Clifton Suspension Bridge. Many locals had posted in lost and found groups as Pip strolled the streets of Bristol including outside his old home, in the park, and outside a local museum.
He arrived home 20 minutes before Libby. Pip is a Podenco, a rabbit hunting hound rescued from Spain. Now a therapy dog, he is well-known around Bristol because he sits in Libby's backpack as she cycles around the city.
Libby said: "At first I thought 'how on earth is he going to cross Bristol by himself. But thankfully Pip has a good nose - he often takes me to his dog friends' houses on our walks.
"The dog community in Bristol is amazing, so I put him in one of the groups and I got constant updates of where he was seen. He went back to our old flat, past the Bristol museum, literally all over Bristol.
"Eventually he was seen in the park near our house, so I breathed a sigh of relief because I knew he should be able to get home from there. I called our neighbours and they were all waiting for him when he got back.
"He apparently trotted round the corner fairly nonchalantly. He had all his dog friends and lots of treats waiting for him."
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