Sniffer dog used in search for pet missing in Cornwall

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-33060484

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A family has sought the help of a sniffer dog in a desperate attempt to find a pet who went missing on holiday.

Tess, a Sprocker Spaniel, went missing on 3 June from cliff tops on the north Cornwall coast at Bude.

Owner Lucy Blackburn, from Lytham St Annes, Lancashire, has extended her holiday and enlisted help from a Beagle "with an unbelievable nose".

Mrs Blackburn said losing Tess, aged four, was "the most heartbreaking thing in my life".

She will set out with Jenny Brown from K9Tracker and her beagle Tiga to find Tess by tracking her scent.

Mrs Blackburn said she had been hit hard by losing Tess after owning her since she was eight weeks old: "For people who don't own dogs they will find it very difficult to understand.

"I have had Tess longer than I have had my children. She is an integral part of my family and not having her here is the most heartbreaking thing in my life."

Mrs Blackburn was put in touch with Surrey based K9Tracker through the Dog Lost UK charity.

She said Ms Brown and Tiga had previously had success finding dogs who had been missing for up to 13 days and that the service was free.

She pointed out dozens of testimonials describing the sniffer dog as "truly amazing", "incredible" and "a dog in a million".

Mrs Blackburn and her family were on a week-long holiday in Bude when Tess went missing and a thorough search of the area was carried out.

Her husband Paul and their two young children returned home on Saturday but Mrs Blackburn is determined to stay on in Cornwall until Tess is found.