How Spike Was Found

"Oh my god we are so excited and the adrenalin is still running in our house. After not sleeping for so many nights due to worry, we now cannot sleep due to adrenalin.

So, today was Day 3 looking for Spike. We met at Fiona's and looked at a map to break up the search party to cover more ground. At this point we were feeling a little lost ourselves as we had already covered the area on numerous occasions, but also knew that we could not just sit at home, that we had to be out there looking.

Fiona went to check out St Catherine's school, Kerry to the grounds of St Kevin's Junior School to look around there and Melissa, Tahlia and I were making our way to Kooyong Gardens. As Melissa and I passed Heyington Station we saw that someone had written on the lost poster that we had left there two days earlier "Found on the Tracks. Sorry!!!' Melissa and I instantly started to shake/cry/dry retch but also knew that we had to see for ourselves. I called Kerry and she ran all they way to meet us. I crossed the pedestrian bridge and walked along the platform to look on the tracks for him, but could not see him. Kerry arrived and went on the opposite side of the track. Melissa and I were walking up the top of the pedestrian path calling out Spike’s name. After less than a minute Kerry started to yell 'Donna, I have found him'. Melissa and I were yelling back 'where, where' as we could not see him, and Kerry is yelling out 'right there where you are'. I could still not see him and so I automatically jumped (flew over) the fence - which is not something I do on a daily basis. Melissa jumped the fence too and then landed straight on her behind!!! (Told you it was not something we do everyday!).

Anyway, while Melissa is sitting on her bum, I am calling out to Spike and squeezing the squeaky ball as I still could not see him. At this point I am at the edge of the landing, looking down a very steep cliff to the train tracks! All of a sudden I see Spike looking out at me. He was behind a bush in an alcove on the cliff. I kept calling him and he tried to get to me but the cliff was too steep. I sat down and when he reached as far as he could I grabbed hold of his head. He then stretched out a little further and took an extra couple of steps up towards me so I was able to grab his front two legs and pull him the rest of the way up. I sat there on the edge of this cliff holding him in my arms, too grateful to have him back to let go but also a little too afraid to move. Melissa had jumped the fence back over to the pedestrian footpath and passed me his collar and lead and mobile phone. I quickly called Fiona but unbeknown to me, Kerry had already done this.. Kerry and Fiona arrived at the same time so I passed Spike over to the fence to Kerry and called Trisha. I have to tell you that at this point in time, Spike was reacting like everything was fine and dandy however the human group of us were shaking, laughing, crying and overall in a state of disbelief.

Fiona run home to get her car and Kerry and I took it in turns to carry Spike home (we figured he had not eaten or drank anything for a long time, so we did not want him to have to walk). Fiona met us with the car and we drove Spike the rest of the way home.

Back at Fiona's house Richard and Fiona's sister Toni arrived home. Spike had something to eat and drink and then made himself comfortable on the couch where he fell asleep and dreamed (We are guessing about trains!)

He has not a scratch on him - he is perfectly fine. This is a dog with nine lives!

We are all so ever grateful to Trisha, Sandra, Lisa, Akke, Ulrike for all of your support, flyers, assistance, etc.

Kerry and I are extremely gratefully that Spike was adopted by Fiona and Richard who did not even have Spike for 12 hours but had already fallen so in love with him that they were willing to do anything to get him back safe and sound. Fiona, like me, has cried a river of tears and not been able to sleep or eat. She missed a very, very important work deadline on Tuesday to spend the day looking for Spike. They looked for Spike every night until 10 pm and every morning at first light. Fiona's sister Toni was also there helping to search everyday.

We are also grateful to Melissa and Tahlia for spending 3 days on the computer registering him missing on every sight available, setting up a face book page for him and feeding us when we got home late at night from hours of searching. Melissa and Tahlia were also walking the streets today from 4pm until we found him.

Life goes on, and I can smile again. We are just so happy to have found him!"

(Donna)