A Wiltshire community has rejoiced after Maisie the dog, who had been lost for six days, was found.
Little Maisie broke free from her harness on Wednesday (January 27) and spent the following days evading capture.
Owners Dave and Amanda Burr had only owned the pup for five hours before she escaped around 5.30pm, just outside their home on Poole Road.
As darkness fell it became clear that Maisie, a three-year-old Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, was well and truly lost.
Residents across Malmesbury had mobilised to help find her and 15-year-old Ben Thornbury launched his drone in a bid to track the skittish pup from the skies.
Drones SAR for Dogs also helped the search and members of the public donated dog toys to help track her down.
Maisie had been spotted on a number of occasions within vast fields, but no-one had got close enough to catch her.
After six days roaming the wilds of Malmesbury, Maisie was finally found and caught on Wednesday night (February 3)
Dave and Amanda only moved to the area six months ago, from High Wycombe near London, and thanked the local community for their help.
Dave said: “A farm manager spotted her, it was the first sighting in about three days.
"My partner Amanda had almost given up hope and we'd been out searching what felt like everywhere. We'd worried she'd been stolen or had died.
"At about 7.30pm someone rang and told us Maisie was outside their house.
Maisie has since visited the vets, who described her as a "very lucky dog." Apart from being slightly underweight, she is healthy despite her ordeal.
"The amount of time she was spotted dashing across busy roads, she really is like the dog with nine lives," Dave added.
Having Maisie back home isn’t the only piece of good news for the Burrs.
Maisie’s breeder has let the couple also keep Mabel, who has been described as the “unsung hero” in the rescue.
The Burrs have issued a huge thank you to everyone involved in the search.
Dave added: "I know we only had her for about five hours but when she went missing it was like a crushed dream. We barely slept the first night she was gone.
"We've learned a lot from this experience. Where we're from, you keep your head down and don't really talk to people. Here in Malmesbury everyone says hello and acts like they're already your friend.
"The response was amazing and in a way, I wasn't surprised. Malmesbury just seems like that kind of place.
“Maisie looks incredibly happy today and keeps wagging her tail, she's just been going between Amanda and I for constant attention.”
This evening, Maisie will enjoy a long warm bath to help her relax.
Dave and Amanda also hope it will put a stop to the fleas that took roost in her fur while she enjoyed life in the wild.
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