Missing Queensland pup Einstein finally found after seven-week SA scrubland survival
He was lost in the bush 49 days before a remarkable coincidence saw the missing pup on a path back home.
A Maltese cross named Einstein has miraculously survived seven weeks in SA bushland after running off from his interstate owners while they were on holiday.
Einstein, who lives in Queensland with his owners Jeff and Sue, ran off into bushland northeast of Adelaide on September 19 and was recently found by locals who recognised him from community posters and rushed him to Tea Tree Gully vets where he’s now recovering.
The 12-year-old beloved pet, who ran off when his owners were visiting friends in Houghton, lost more than half his body weight and was dehydrated but was able to lift his head when he heard his owners’ voices during a video call shortly after his rescue.
Director and founder Lost Pets of South Australia, Christine Robertson, and her team confirmed the “incredibly good outcome” on Monday morning, saying there had been “a lot of tears” among volunteers and Einstein’s family in Queensland.
“This little dog has had seven weeks of rough survival out there,” Ms Robertson said in a Facebook post.
“He’s weak but alive, and he’ll be okay.”
His owners, Jeff and Sue Johns were ecstatic upon hearing about little Einstein’s safe rescue.
“My wife couldn’t believe it, she cried,” the 77-year-old said.
“I was just in awe, I could not believe our luck.
“It’s the outcome you really hope for, but you don’t always get the outcome you want.”
Little Einstein was bred in Ceduna and lived with a different owner for the first five years of his life before the Johns family took him in seven and a half years ago.
Since then, he’s been a source of joy to the couple’s life.
“He’s a cracker little dog, been really, really good to us,” Mr Johns said.
“So I thought I’ve lost him and that’s it, I can’t ever go through that again.
“We weren’t going to get another dog to replace him because there’s a chance that the dog would outlive both of us and I don’t want to put a dog into a situation like that.”
After bolting out the door from a property, Einstein had vanished into scrubland on Lower North East Rd, prompting one of the most intensive missing-pet searches seen in the area.
Volunteers had spent weeks checking sheds, walking the Anstey Hill trails, putting up signs on every pole, dropping posters in letterboxes of every house and following multiple reported sightings, including one last Thursday that led to search crews staking out the area.
The breakthrough came when a family spotted the dog along a track and recognised him from the posters circulating across the northeastern suburbs.
After successfully capturing the poor pooch on Monday afternoon after exactly seven weeks lost in the bushland, he was immediately taken to the Tea Tree Gully vet clinic.
His owners had to return home to Queensland earlier for medical appointments but kept in daily contact with volunteers.
Hospital director and veterinarian Dr Mark Reeve from Tea Tree Gully Vet Hospital said due to the intense exhaustion and Einstein’s older age, he was “probably only found at that point because he slowed down enough to be caught”.
But Dr Reeve confirms his that the little pup was on the way to recovery, with his tests looking “really good” and making it through the first 24 hours looking up.
Staff at the clinic held a live video call so the couple could speak to their missing pet and the exhausted dog reportedly recognised their voices straight away.
Supporters who have followed the search said they were relieved the story had a positive ending, with many posting messages such as “thank goodness he is safe” and “so very happy with this result”.
Ms Robertson credited the rescue to “the entire community effort”, including the dedicated volunteers and locals who put up posters, drone operators, locals who called in sightings, and residents checking their properties for possible hiding spots.
“This is an incredibly good outcome,” the rescue team said.
“We are so proud of this community.”
Mr and Mrs Johns said they can’t wait to drive down to Adelaide and reunite with Einstein as soon as he’s well enough to travel.
“I can’t really think of the way to actually express how happy that I am with the result and how thankful I am to all of those that helped find him,” he said.
“If I said that he’s not going to be very spoiled, I’d be telling porkies in the first order.”
Einstein’s lost and found tale follows the remarkable recovery of Valerie, the mischievous dachshund who survived more than 500 days missing on Kangaroo Island before being found earlier this year.
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Originally published as Missing Queensland pup Einstein finally found after seven-week SA scrubland survival
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