Search for Sampa: Dirt bikes, drone used in hunt for missing puppy

The Goonellabah family that owns Sampa has offered a “substantial reward” for the return of the pedigree puppy

The owners of Sampa are desperate to get her back and have offered a substantial reward.

Dirt bikes, a drone and a search party have so far failed to find a much-loved golden retriever named Sampa who went missing from Goonellabah a fortnight ago.

Although there have been several sightnngs of the less than two year old puppy, no leads have proved successful.

The Goonellabah family that owns Sampa has offered a “substantial reward” for the return of the pedigree puppy.

Sampa went missing on a wild and windy Saturday, July 17 from a property in Invercauld Road and was last seen running down Ballina Road.

Owner Josh Paterson has posted on several community Facebook sites and has been inundated with sightings, both real and false alarms. He’s been staggered by the response.

“The community response has been excellent,” he said.

“I’ve had offers of money to help with the search, ex coppers have come forward, someone provided a drone so we could search through the bushes. It has been great.

“There was a sighting out in Ballina, but it was the wrong dog. We had a search party out going through bushland.

“Honestly, it has been very taxing on us personally. We go through grieving, to hope, it is just a whirwind of emotions.”

Mr Paterson said he had checked in with all the vets in the area, asked anyone with CCTV in the area and had personally searched high and low for the missing dog.

Although Sampa wasn’t wearing a collar at the time it went missing, the dog is microchipped and easily identifiable.

If anyone has sighted the dog or has any information or offers of help please call 0481 369117.