Who knew social media could do so much good?

He walked in to my wife’s coffee shop as if he owned the place. Did a round through the garden, looking at everything, and then proceeded inside.

There, he went from table to table, looking at the food, and seemed to give an approving nod. I was keeping a close eye, because I knew he had never visited the shop before. Next thing, he walked up to where I was sitting and without batting an eyelid jumped onto my lap.

I reckon he must be a cross between a Fox terrier and a Jack Russell, exceptionally well-behaved, in very good condition, and with a vibrant personality. The problem, however, was that he was unaccompanied.

I immediately realised that the dog had strayed from his home. Having found a friendly lap to park on, he was staying put. When I tried to coax him out, he put on a puppy face and I could see that he was lost.

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In a split-second, he became my responsibility. What to do? It would be easier to find a haystack with a needle hidden inside than to find the dog’s home, so I decided to call in the social media cavalry.

The photo of the dog was shared far and wide and I was convinced that his parents would rush to his rescue within minutes. However, after an hour, the dog and I were getting a bit anxious.

As the afternoon dragged on and customers started dwindling, I formulated plan B: taking the stray dog for a sleepover at my daughter’s house. It failed dismally. Their placid Great Dane went ballistic, with the result that my son-in-law ended up huffing, puffing, sweating and bleeding, while the lost soul found himself back at the shop.

By dusk, he was exhausted, lying by my feet feeling very sorry for himself. Next moment he pricked his ears, wagged his tail, and made a beeline for the gate. Then, out of the blue, a car pulled up. The dog had obviously recognised the sound of his parents’ vehicle.

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Turns out the dog is called Hendrik and he had strayed seven blocks from home, crossing a number of very busy intersections. Who knew social media could do so much good?