Midshires & Welsh Borders Lost Dog Tracking Network

11/08/2026

Its going to be hot tomorrow....some great advise from the local rescue to keep our dogs safe
https://www.facebook.com/share/19T8ik5uaS/

‼️⚠️ PLEASE PLEASE BE SENSIBLE!! ⚠️‼️

25/07/2026

Thor is home !

23/07/2026

Thor - still missing - last seen in Rotherwas early Tuesday morning. Please keep a look out for him - check outbuildings. If you do see him, DO NOT try & catch up but call Matt on 07910 301253 with his location.
Thank you - lets get this young dog home

18/07/2026

This is a great description of the work that we do alongside other Lost Dog tracking teams. If you want to know more, then please get in touch!

https://www.facebook.com/share/1CZFsjbxJA/

What do we actually do? The clue’s in the name….or is it?

We are the lost dog TRACKING network. Our main reason for existence is to track lost dogs using our own highly trained scent dogs. But like lots of things there’s an awful lot more it than that.

Information gathering: When we are notified of a missing dog we begin by gathering basic information - where is the dog missing, when did it go missing, is it wearing a harness/lead/collar, is it particularly elderly or vulnerable?

Advice: We will immediately give advice to the owners about actions to take (leaving owners scent around, not chasing or shouting etc).

Coordination: We will also begin to look at whether it will be suitable for tracking. This takes many factors into account - do we have volunteers and dogs available, is it safe to deploy our own dogs in the area, do we have a suitable scent article?

Many dogs will return to the point they were lost once the area quietens down. Because of this much of our work in the first 24hours is focussed on allowing that to happen and not pushing the dog further away. We usually won’t track in that first 24hours but instead will focus on working with the owners to maximise the chances of dogs being reunited

If we are able to use our tracking dogs then all of this is multiplied. Our team will work with the owners to understand factors such as terrain, local wildlife and regular walk routes. We will also factor in information from sightings as it becomes available. All our teams map their tracks, recording not just the route taken but areas of interest - where the dog indicated there was no scent, where there were paw prints, where the dog wasn’t able to go. This is all put together to build a picture for both the owners and our next team on site.

Even when a dog isn’t suitable for tracking we don’t stop. We will continue to work with the owner providing help and guidance on actions to take, possible search areas, signs to look out for. We will liaise with other teams such as drone teams if that could help. Where it is appropriate we also go out as a foot search team without our dogs.

The work continues even when we aren’t tracking. All our teams train regularly, including formal CPD training and all our training needs to be planned and logged. Our dogs need to be kept in the best possible condition for tracking so regular health checks and in some cases physiotherapy are essential. And of course all our dogs are our own pets so there’s the usual business of loving them and spoiling them!!

03/07/2026

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/196yGL2cx4/

Hopefully this should explain why we give advise before we deploy

“Why don’t you deploy the tracking dogs straight away?” 🐾

It’s one of the questions we’re asked most.

Our operational tracking dogs aren’t usually the first response when a dog goes missing - and that’s intentional.

In the first 24–48 hours, many lost dogs make their own way back to the point they went missing, the car park, or home. Deploying a tracking dog too early can risk pushing a lost dog away from an area they may have naturally returned to.

Before any deployment, we also need to carefully assess each case. We look at maps, terrain, roads, railways, livestock, rivers, weather and other hazards - not only for the missing dog, but also for our operational dogs and handlers. Every deployment needs to be safe and give our dogs the best chance of providing reliable information.

Many missing dogs are reunited without the need for a tracking deployment, whether that’s through owners and local volunteers, sightings, ground search teams, thermal imaging or thermal drones. These methods are often less invasive and can be incredibly effective.

Our role is to provide a specialist resource when it’s the right time - not simply the earliest time.

If you’d like to learn more about what to do if your dog goes missing, including those crucial first steps, check out the new Ayrshire Drone Dog Rescue - ADDR website. We work alongside ADDR regularly, and it’s packed with practical guidance to help maximise the chances of a safe reunion. 🧡🐾

https://www.addr.org.uk

22/06/2026

Please avoid exercising your dog in the temperatures forecast over the next few days. If walking makes you feel hot, then its too hot for your dog

11/06/2026

🚨🚨 Important information for households with more than one dog 🚨🚨

We were recently contacted by CeaSAR to track Daphne, a dachshund who had gone missing from her home near Evesham.
As Daphne lived with other dogs and went missing from home, a unique scent article was crucial. After a discussion, we found there were not any items with only Daphne’s scent, so we were unable to track her.

After assessing the safety and welfare of the lost dog, our tracking dog and handler, one of the main reasons we may be unable to track is the lack of a unique scent article.
A sister team, Lost Dog Tracking Southern Counties, has produced an excellent poster explaining how to prepare a unique scent article

Thankfully, Daphne made her own way home after her adventure ❤️🐾❤️

09/06/2026

Apologies for the delayed update on Twiggy. The team has had a busy few weeks supporting owners of lost dogs.

Twiggy ran from his rural Herefordshire home in the early hours of Thursday morning during a severe thunderstorm. Frightened by the storm, he jumped from a ground floor window and bolted.

His owner contacted Midshires & Welsh Borders Lost Dog Tracking team for help, as there had not been any sightings.

We gave initial advice and discussed setting up access for Twiggy to return home. When he did not appear, we arranged to track Friday evening.

LDTD Myrtle tracked from Twiggy’s home to a nearby wooded area. However, access through the woodland was unsafe for the handlers, despite a great effort by our buddy Helen to clear a route.

We checked footpath maps for another way into the woodland. While discussing this with Twiggy’s owner, she mentioned that the footpath came out opposite her mum’s house, about half a mile away, where Twiggy had previously lived. We moved to that location and deployed LDTD Tia, who indicated that Twiggy had visited recently, but both entrance gates were closed.

As Twiggy appeared to be moving between the two properties, we set up access at the second location, along with cameras and food stations, then left the area to give him the best chance of returning.

By Sunday morning, there were still no sightings, so we contacted a thermal drone pilot to search the area between the two properties. While arranging a time, the long-awaited call came: Twiggy had returned home. He had sore paws but was otherwise ok.

Twiggy back home on his bed ❤️🐾❤️

07/06/2026

Winston is home! Well done to his owner for following advise