Where Are You Scamp????? (Updated)

Poor ould Scamp is still missing. It's been six weeks now. Is it possible for a dog to survive that long in the open??

We have established that he was back on our road on Monday, the day after he went missing. Unfortunately I was in Bray looking for him at the time. I can't help wondering if I'd have seen him had I come straight home from collecting Snuggles from his July school that day.

He was seen on the Wednesday in Shanganagh Park . He was also seen in another part of the same park on the Thursday where he gained access to Woodbrook Golf Course.

Since then?? NOTHING. NADA.


Well, there was the crank call we got that Friday night of course. The one where the guy tried to muffle his voice and I kept saying "I can't hear you" , so he had to speak out. Sometimes I am just so trusting ... or naive ... or just plain dumb.


I believed the caller and off we went to the address the caller had given us. I should have copped when a man opened the door in his underwear ... I, apparently having got him out of bed! Nope. Went straight over my head. And Mr Jazzy's too, I might add as he suggested we ring the caller back! Which we did .... to the absolute delight of the caller. And his friends. Oh, the hilarity in his house that night. Not so in ours as I had to explain to a distraught and sleepy 9 year old why his dog wasn't coming home. Of course, I also had to explain why someone would make a call like that. I had to tell him that it was a joke. Yea, right ... a joke. Gawd ....it was hard enough getting him to understand "joke" in it's true sense in the first instance.



So thanks a bunch Mr Joker, you really messed up a little boy's head that night. For your own amusement. Such a big man, huh? I was going to send him a text but then I thought.... why bother. I'd probably only get more grief. I decided that letting it go was best.



As it's been so long since we heard anything I just presumed he'd been taken in by someone. Or, that he was dead in a ditch somewhere. We looked for a long time. We searched Shanganagh Park high and low. We're always on the lookout. Even when we were driving to our SugarLoaf climb last Monday. We'd stopped going out searching though as it's totally head wrecking and upsetting. It's also pointless when you've no reported sightings. He could be anywhere, we reckoned.


Snuggles has been coping well, or so it seems. He mentions him form time to time. He quite matter-of-factly told me he's probably dead. But that's just him. He does get it he just doesn't go on about it. It's like when it was his teacher's last day and she was crying her eyes out... she had us all in tears! Snuggles couldn't understand it, saying: "Why is she crying? She's still in the school, isn't she?" !!

Two weeks ago a child who visits her Grandad on our road told me she'd seen Scamp that day. She brought me around where she'd been. To be honest, I don't know if she was being entirely truthful. She told me a few untruths on the way. At the very least, she exaggerated things. So, I kinda ruled that sighting out.

I've been having dreams of Scamp returning. And they're increasing, in duration and credibility. I mean, I woke up a few days ago really believing he was coming home that day. I'd dreamt that I found him on the road. He was wet, thin and very bedraggled and I was trying to half carry him back to the house but I couldn't quite get there. I woke up just before I got there, of course!

Then, I heard the stories of dogs been found having travelled miles. One was found in a Roscommon farm having come from Northern Ireland. Then there was Muffy, the Australian dog found after 9 years!! Now, there's a story!

Then there's today's sighting. The little girl I told you about came to the door with her cousin, a boy J. Now I know the Grandad and I know J's mum. It seems to be a genuine sighting. He was coming from Shankill village onto Corbawn Lane (at the church roundabout) and spotted a very thin dog (he could see his ribs) walking down the middle of the road. The dog looked at him. Scamp always looked at little boys... on the lookout for Snuggles I always believed. J looked back at him twice and then he was gone. He's not sure what direction he went. He spotted him at around 2 0r 3 pm but it was only when he went to the park and saw one of the only remaining posters that he realised it was Scamp. Now, we quizzed him, gently, and it really does sound like a genuine sighting of a dog fitting Scamp's description.

Needless to say we searched the Village this evening but as there was a time delay of about 3 hours in getting the info we couldn't find him. Snuggles was VERY upset this evening. He said it was his fault Scamp went missing. I think I managed to re-assure him on that front. The poor thing.

I have rallied the troops by texting everyone I know in Shankill and I have spent tonight printing and laminating more posters. We will search again tomorrow.

We just need a little luck. Why, oh why is it never us driving or walking along when he appears?? I actually drove up that road TWICE today between 2 and 3 pm! So frustrating!

And why, oh why is no-one noticing a very thin bedraggled dog wandering around?? PLEASE, PLEASE PICK UP THE PHONE PEOPLE!! Our details are with the local Gardai and Vets and he's micro-chipped.

I ask anyone reading this to please, please say a prayer to whatever God you believe in that we find him soon. Before it's too late.

Come home soon Scampy. Your bed still awaits you .....

xx Jazzy

UPDATE: 11/08/2009

Unfortunately the sighting appears to be a false one :((

I spoke to the child's mum today and she was with him when he saw the dog. First off she doesn't think it was Scamp but she's not sure. Secondly the child was confused as to where he saw him! It wasn't in the Village, it was at one of the entrances to the park.

Methinks his little cousin with the, ahem.... imagination put ideas in his head! The thought did cross my mind at the time, which is why we quizzed him.

Ah, well. I'm still thinking of Muffy .... maybe Scamp will do a "Muffy" on it .... I just hope he doesn't take 9 years!! xx J