A LOCAL pup proved her resourcefulness after she bolted from her owner’s side when she got a fright during their evening walk, sparking a frantic search.
Unbeknown to her owner, the pup named Sandy had a plan: she made a beeline for the familiar sights and sounds of her Kirstenhof doggy daycare.
Security footage captured the determined pooch arriving at the closed Hackett Hounds and Cats doggy daycare, her excitement evident.
For nearly 40 minutes, Sandy tirelessly paced the driveway, barking insistently and attempting to gain entry.
The sound of persistent barking alerted the property owner, who, after checking the CCTV, discovered the distressed dog.
Meanwhile, Sandy's owner, growing increasingly worried, contacted the daycare to report her missing.
The news that Sandy had somehow made her way back to the familiar grounds of the daycare brought immense relief.
The daycare owner said while Sandy has never been walked from home to daycare, she has always been dropped and fetched by car, the incident showed the incredible intelligence and determination of canine companions.
According to Sandy’s owner, the dog collided with a runner in the park during their walk, startling her.
After reviewing video footage of Sandy outside the daycare, her owner said: “It is quite amazing. Assuming the time on the footage is correct, she was already at (the daycare) five minutes before I started sending her photo to people, which was not more than ten minutes after she went missing. So, she took about five minutes or so to run 1.3km from Kirstenhof greenbelt to Hackett Hounds and Cats,” he said.
“I’m very grateful that the daycare owner was home to let her in.”
According to the daycare, dogs have an extraordinary olfactory system, with up to 300 million scent receptors compared to about 5 million in humans. This allows them to detect faint and complex scent trails, even in urban environments.
Dogs also possess an internal navigation system that functions similarly to a compass. Research suggests that dogs can sense the Earth's magnetic field, which aids their ability to orient themselves over long distances.
Cape Times