“There come’s Blue, out of the blue!”: Missing Dawncliffe dog found safe

BLAKE Louwrens was determined not to give up searching for his beloved dog, Blue who had gone missing from his Dawncliffe home heading in the direction of Queensburgh on Sunday, 3 February.

Messages of support and enquiries from groups wanting to join the rescue came from all over the Highway area.

“There is a massive search underway in Paradise Valley for Blue that is suspected to be trapped and injured in the reserve,” posted Louwrens’ sister quoting a call for help in the search for Blue and sharing her brother’s contact details.

“What a huge response from all in the area and surrounding areas to try and find her. The owners are desperate,” said Farren-Jade Louwrens who is currently living in Vietnam.

She added that Blake and the family had put out a call for volunteers and assistance with drones, thermal imaging and abseiling equipment due to the terrain that needed to be searched. “The bush is thick, we need pangas, we need people to help with cliffs or go in-between rocks.”

A family friend was delighted to be able to share the news of the end of Blue’s big adventure in the wild.

“She has been found! Blue is going home! I have never seen such an intense search,” said Jazmin Opara Laing. “Mad respect to everyone involved. Blake Anthony Louwrens, Farren-Jade Louwrens. Thank you for showing what true love for an animal is and never giving up! I am so relieved this is a happy ending.” 

According to Blake’s mother, Karen Louwrens, Blue was quite weak when she was found with some very big wounds on her body. “She was gone for so long and we are at the vet right now with her,” she said on Wednesday.

Nikki Mathios of Pet Rescue Pinetown, which was very involved in the mobilising of volunteers as well as the outing to Paradise Valley where one of the search party had to be airlifted to a medical facility following a fall from a log, said she was delighted that Blake had been the one to find Blue.

ALSO READ: Woman survives fall after dog rescue operation goes south

“He has never stopped from the moment he first asked for help, all his extra time has been spent looking for her,” she said soon after Blue was found on Wednesday.  Mathios, who, with the help of her husband, Andreas had been scouring the river valley including “five hours last night in the bush.”

“She hadn’t been spotted at all, so it was a very wide search. All Blake’s friends had been putting out the word, and Blake himself had been driving past anywhere he could to look for her. She was finally found far, far away from home near Linde Crescent, and we are all so happy that she has been found. She had definitely been trying to find her way home, but it would have been such a long way back, via Queensburgh and Cowies Hill to Dawncliffe. Blake said he had been looking this morning and spotted her saying, “There come’s Blue, out of the blue!” He immediately called for people to help him get to her as she wouldn’t have been able to make it up herself, and he needed help to get back after going down to pick her up.”

Mathios said Blake had lost about 15 kilograms during the days that his dog was missing. “He couldn’t eat, and was determined not to give up, so we are all so very happy that she has been found.”

Karen Louwrens said she was already planning a big celebration for all the people who stepped in to help in the search.

Do you want to receive alerts regarding this and other Highway community news via WhatsApp? Send us a WhatsApp message (not an sms) with your name and surname (ONLY) to 060 532 5409.

You can also join the conversation on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

PLEASE NOTE: If you have signed up for our news alerts you need to save the Highway Mail WhatsApp number as a contact to your phone, otherwise you will not receive our alerts