Alan Whitton, 49, from Woodford Green, Redbridge, welcomed Mitzi the Jack Russell into his home last year after the family’s previous dog, Tinker, sadly .d.i.ed. When Tinker had to be put down, Alan was distraught. His only refuge during this time was his other dog, a Jack Rusell mix dubbed “Mitzi.” Having both lost a friend, they spent a lot of time together trying to console the other. Through this bonding, the pair became inseparable.
“I call her my business partner because she is always with me, by my side,” Alan told Essex Live.
But ᴛʀᴀɢᴇᴅʏ sᴛʀɪᴋes again when 1-year-old Mitzi was walking down a park with Alan when she started to run after another dog was chasing her. The poor man looked out for his beloved dog all day but had no luck, it seemed like the dog got disappeared without a trace.
Despite leaving some scented toys and food, the family still couldn’t find Mitzi and they eventually had to return home. ‘I didn’t want to go home without her but it was late [and] we had to,’ Alan told Essex Live.
As this was the first time Mitzi had ever gone missing, Alan couldn’t help but think the worst. The dog-lover said he was unable to sleep all night as he ‘thought she was going to ᴅ.ɪ.ᴇ’ in the cold weather. ‘It was ʜ.ᴇ.ʟʟɪsʜ,’ he explained. The search continued but with no luck, so he started plastering the area with missing posters, hoping the community will help him find his pet.
When all hopes seem lost Alan received a call from a dog walker informing him that her dog keeps sniffing around a fox hole. Alan praying for a miracle went out to the sight and heard a familiar whimpering coming from the hole, it was his Mitzi.
Once Alan got to the area, he immediately knew he had found Mitzi. He heard the bark of his best friend. But he didn’t know exactly where she was, or if she was hurt. He crawled on his knees until he found the right passage.
Alan finds Mitzi and grabs her with difficulty but manages to pull her out, he breaks down crying and hugging her the locals are all so happy to witness this emotional reunion, the best thing was the dog wasn’t hurt physically.
“I just broke down, I was overwhelmed with joy and disbelief, I had started to lose hope,” Alan told Essex Live. “It was like a Christmas miracle, all the time it felt like a nightmare I couldn’t wake up from.
Alan thanked everyone that helped him find the dog so in a gratitude sign he will give them a free session since he is a life therapy coach.
“We are capable of so much when we work together,” he said. “It really has restored my faith in humanity. We are so glad for this kind man.
In a bid to keep the Jack Russell safe, the dog owner said he’s looking into buying a GPS collar for her so he can track her at all times while out on walks. The 49-year-old said he feels ‘so grateful and overwhelmed by the compassion showed by those who helped him find Mitzi, adding: ‘The prospect of not having Mitzi here at Christmas, I couldn’t even contemplate.’
