Dog found in Christmas miracle

A tale of a lost dog has united a rural community and saved a man’s dying wish this Christmas. Read the Christmas miracle.

The moment Brenda Trotter was reunited with her dog Dobby thanks to local TC and his drone. Picture: Supplied

Brenda Trotter’s Christmas plans involved a short trip to Melbourne with her partner Pete Blyss.

Her older brother Ian Trotter, 67, is terminally ill with cancer.

“His dying wish was to have all 60 of us family together on Christmas,” Ms Trotter said.

Background: Sue Trotter and brothers Ian and Lindsay Trotter. Foreground: Linday’s wife Jan Trotter . Picture: Supplied

The plan was for Pete to finish driving a road train up from Alice Springs, then the Livingstone couple would be on a flight that would get them to their Christmas reunion just in time.

All was going according to plan until the couple’s 18-year-old dog Dobby went missing.

“At 9.20pm on Friday night Dobby disappeared,” Ms Trotter said.

“She went out for a wee and never came back.”

Dobby is an 18-year-old red heeler x dingo. Picture: Supplied

The search started immediately.

“Straight away I went out there whistling and calling,” Ms Trotter said.

“I put on all the lights on and music so she could find her way home.

“Then I drove up and down the road in the four wheel drive with a torch.”

Ms Trotter returned home at 2am for a brief break, before resuming the search about 4am Saturday.

“I didn’t sleep at all on Friday night.”

By dawn with no sight of Dobby, Ms Trotter rang neighbours Sam and Darryl for help.

Pete Blyss and Brenda Trotter. Picture: Supplied

“Straight away they woke up their three kids — Molly, Abby and Clarry — and we all got on the quad bikes searching for Dobby.

“They’re the most awesome family with such amazing kids.”

The search party went up and down the neighbourhood asking much obliging neighbours if they could search their properties.

“I was worried sick I wouldn’t make it to Melbourne for the reunion,” Ms Trotter said.

“I couldn’t leave without Dobby.”

“I just wanted to find her — dead or alive.”

The Saturday search was unsuccessful.

By that stage many in the rural community had joined the hunt, with some taking to the skies to locate the dog.

“I realised we needed a drone to search such a large area,” Ms Trotter said.

“So I put a post up on the local community page asking for a drone.”

It was locals TC and Kasey who suggested using a thermal spotter at dawn when they’d be able to detect Dobby’s body heat.

TC was one of five locals who took to the skies in search of Dobby. Picture: Supplied

At 5.45am on Sunday morning TC and Kasey arrived with their thermal drone — by 6.15am Dobby had been found.

“TC asked, does she have a long tail?” Ms Trotter said.

“I saw her tail moving and said ‘oh my God she’s alive!’,” Ms Trotter recalls.

Ms Trotter called Mr Blyss straight away to tell him Dobby had been found before the group raced to the neighbouring property 600m away.

“I was running to her like Forrest Gump through the wet ground with thongs,” Ms Trotter said.

“She couldn’t move — she’d been there for days.

“I just needed to hold her and hug her.

TC holds Dobby as she is embraced by Ms Trotter the moment she was found.. Picture: Supplied

“This is the best Christmas ever.”

Ms Trotter’s Christmas was saved thanks to the help of her community.

“There’s too many people to thanks – the overwhelming response has been amazing.

“Thank you everyone and Merry Christmas.”

Originally published as Dog found in Christmas miracle