Community and social media rallies to find ‘Goldie’, lost for six days in southwest Sydney

A rallying cry on social media from the distraught owners of a dog lost for six days led to an intense community driven search and rescue mission to find ‘Goldie’ in southwest Sydney.

Lachlan Carter (left), of Grasmere, with his sister Ally Carter and their pet cocker spaniel Goldie, and cavoodle Teddy, on Saturday. It was the day after Goldie had been found after she had been missing for six days. Goldie became the focus of an intense local social media 'lost' campaign that attracted more than 7000 engagements and had hundreds of people out searching for her. Picture: Supplied

“We’ve got our golden baby back … It’s a miracle”.

This was the cry from the jubilant owners of “Goldie”, a wayward cocker spaniel who became the focus of an intense six-day social media and community search and rescue mission across multiple suburbs in Sydney’s southwest.

The beloved six-year-old family pet had bolted into the bush last Sunday when she was startled while out for a walk, on a leash, with her owner Ally Carter along the bike track along the Nepean River at Camden.

Lachlan Carter, with pet cocker spaniel Goldie, minutes after he managed to grab her after she was spotted by members of the public north of Cobbity on Friday evening. Picture: Supplied

When a distraught Ally, and her worried brother Lachlan, posted messages on local community and “lost pets” Facebook pages to help find Goldie, they were stunned by the reaction.

Their posts attracted more than 7000 engagements, with thousands of people promising to keep an eye out for the dog.

One local even wrote and posted a poem to help inspire people to search for Goldie

Lachlan said on Saturday that a series of Goldie sightings reported on Facebook prompted hundreds of local from across several suburbs to get outside and look for her.

A relieved Lachlan Carter, of Grasmere, with Goldie, minutes after she was found in a horse stable along Cuthill Rd, Cobbity. Picture: Supplied

Across the six-day search there were sightings of Goldie near Camden Airport. She was spotted near the new Kirkham housing estate, before somebody found her distinctive pink lead and harness at the rear of Enzo’s restaurant and vineyard at Camden.

There was a sighting near the Macarthur Anglican College at Cobbity too.

Lachlan said Goldie actually belongs to his dad and he had only had her for about a month. She is a rehomed breeding dog that was used to living on a 100-acre farm.

“When she was out walking, she probably thought he was back on the farm and made a run for it. She’s so quick, like a lightning bolt.

Cocker spaniel Goldie back in loving arms at her home at Grasmere, near Camden, after her six-day adventure. Picture: Supplied

“We posted a missing poster on the Facebook pages and we got more than 7000 likes and reactions to it.

“Honestly, the community was outstanding.

“On Monday night there was a sighing behind Enzo’s and there were over a 100 people out there with lights, searching for her, jumping fences, falling into creeks.

“It was pitch black, but they searched from 7pm to 11.30pm.”

The photo of Goldie that the Carters used to drum up an amazing community and social media response to their pleas for help. Picture: Supplied

Lachlan said they were finally able to grab Goldie after a sighting along Cuthill Rd, north of Cobbity at 5.20pm on Friday. She was about 16kms away from where she originally went missing.

“I got their at 5.45pm then about another 100 people turned up.

“Goldie started running across a paddock. Some young kids helped to track her and she ended up next to horse stable and we were able to corner her and grab her.

“We hadn’t slept all week.”

Lachlan said she is in good health and eating and drinking normally.