A mother and her daughters are desperately searching for their two-year-old golden retriever, Louie, who went missing two weeks ago in the Glen Nevis area of the Scottish Highlands. The dog serves as a therapy animal for 17-year-old Ellie, who has epilepsy, and alerts the family before she has a seizure.
Louise Manson, Ellie's mother, says Louie got spooked during a walk near Steall Falls. The family has been searching daily, sometimes multiple times a day, with help from the local community. Posters with Louie's picture are scattered throughout the area, and volunteers have used drones, including a thermal drone, in the search.
Ellie has found the disappearance particularly hard and has avoided joining many searches due to the emotional toll. “It’s hard. It’s odd walking into the house and he’s not there,” she said. Louie's absence has been deeply felt, as he provides comfort and seizure alerts.
Despite initial despair, hope was renewed when a sniffer dog picked up Louie's scent last weekend, and barking was heard early Thursday morning. Louise believes Louie has entered survival mode and plans to camp near where he went missing, using clothing with her scent to lure him back.
The family has received overwhelming support from locals and strangers. “I put one post on Facebook the night he went missing and by the time I came back up here there were locals already out looking for him,” Louise said. She remains optimistic: “He’s got to be somewhere. When he turns up it’ll be amazing.”
