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Rescue group Dogateers tracks down Jack Russell terrier Luna after she escapes near Bishop’s Stortford railway station and is seen on tracks




Dog rescue volunteers saved the day when a woman’s pet dog went missing for five days and diced with death on the railway line in Bishop’s Stortford.

Brown and white Jack Russell terrier type Luna escaped from her owners in the town centre, near the railway station, on Wednesday (Jan 8). There were several sightings around the town, including people seeing her running along the railway line.

Local dog rescue group The Dogateers stepped in. While advising people not to spook the dog by calling her name or running after her, they set up traps in an area where she was spotted.

Luna went missing near Bishop’s Stortford railway station
Luna went missing near Bishop’s Stortford railway station

Debra Evans Walton, from The Dogateers, said: “It didn’t take long before we had calls telling us she was running around by the back of the town centre. People were trying to catch her and she was running scared – sadly, a dog in flight mode needs to settle.

“The next day we were alerted to Luna’s whereabouts. Worryingly, this was on trackside behind some houses.”

Terri Browning, who works for dog training school DOGability in Spellbrook, rushed to where Luna had been spotted, but the dog had moved on and was seen running along the railway track between moving trains.

Luna after being tracked down by rescue group The Dogateers
Luna after being tracked down by rescue group The Dogateers

Debra said: “I alerted Network Rail, who were amazing, and managed to stop trains at the station. We then were told she had been hit. All feeling sick, we had a tense wait to find out how bad.”

Then a call came through to the station to say Luna was running around, and although train drivers could not catch her they got her off the track and she fled into nearby bushes.

Group members worked out she was in Boundary Road, a cul de sac off Hallingbury Road backing onto the railway line, and they set a trap with food and cameras.

There were some false alarms when Luna was caught on camera trying to get food out of the back of the trap before being scared off. Dogateer members waited through the night in freezing temperatures, and again Luna was spotted and began walking into the trap, only to be scared off again.

“On Sunday morning Terri went down to reset the trap, having placed some more fresh food inside,” said Debra. “[As she was] walking away, the camera went off, [and] much to our delight there she was, and without any hesitation she walked straight in for some much-needed breakfast! Door closed, little Luna was safe.”

Owner Crystal Jones posted her thanks to Dogateers and urged people to donate to the voluntary group.

Debra asked anyone who would like to donate to enable the group to “keep doing what we are doing and help us with equipment” to see their Just Giving page.



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