ASCHAE’s DogBlog

Source: TimesOnline.co.uk, July 30, 2009

Just like Lassie the adventurous collie dog, a scruffy pet named Muffy will finally return home after a nine-year, 2000km (1250 mile) odyssey down the east coast of Australia.

The terrier-cross (or “bitsa” as her type of cross-breed is more affectionately known) was last seen by her owners on the Gold Coast in Queensland in 2000 ago when she took off from a friend’s house one day and never came back.

The Lampard family had given her up for dead and even replaced her with a Rottweiler named Jack, who died of cancer four months ago.

Incredibly, earlier this month, Muffy was discovered in Melbourne, Victoria, by the RSPCA, who had been tipped off by a good Samaritan concerned about a sickly looking, flea-ridden dog living in decrepit surroundings in a suburban backyard.

“We found her living in pretty awful conditions on a piece of cardboard, she had matted hair and was riddled with fleas and had a really severe dermatitis condition,” Victorian RSPCA inspector Gail Coulter told The Times.

After a vet cleaned up the scruffy white-haired dog and gave her medication for her bad skin condition, the welfare agency officers discovered the then-unknown pet had a microchip which meant she could potentially be traced to owners.

“We had to get the tracing department to track down the details because it was such an old microchip, and when we found the owner we rang her and said we’d found Muffy, and it’s fair to say she was pretty surprised,” Ms Coulter said.

On the Gold Coast, Natalie Lampard was stunned when the RSPCA phoned. “I just couldn’t believe it, it’s absolutely amazing,” Ms Lampard told The Times. “I told my daughter Chloe and she was just over the moon, she can’t wait to see Muffy again.”

Ms Lampard said Chloe Rushby, now 17, had been inseparable with the dog, which was her best friend when she was a child.

“They stuck together all the time and Muffy would sleep on Chloe’s bed every night,” she said.

“Chloe was devastated when Muffy went missing. After about a year I thought we would never see the dog again, but Chloe would often talk about her. It’s a pretty happy ending.”

Earlier today Chloe was preparing to fly to Melbourne to be reunited with Muffy, who will return to live with the family in Queensland.

According to Ms Coulter, the dog will still need ongoing veterinary attention and will need to be closely looked after by the family because of her severe skin condition, which is caused by a flea allergy and makes her hair fall out.

“I don’t mind at all, we’re happy to look after her, we’re just happy to have her come home,” said Ms Lampard.

While the RSPCA have confirmed the dog lived in filthy conditions in the house in Melbourne for at least a year, the real story behind the rest of Muffy’s journey – she somehow travelled across three states and the Australian Capital Territory – will never be known.

“I’m sure she’s been through some incredible adventures over the years,” said Ms Coulter. “If only she could talk, she’d have a great story to tell.”