Dita the German Shepherd Dog Found


Back safe and well with her family after 12 days

After 12 days of wandering around West London and numerous sightings Dita has finally been reunited with her family.

The all black female German Shepherd dog went missing on the evening of Thursday 17th July when a neighbour's child took her for a walk in Chiswick House grounds.

Since then she was sighted across West London from Barnes to Osterley and appears to have succeeded in crossing the Thames twice. She was spotted going over Kew Bridge on 23rd July and yesterday she was seen going along Queens Drive towards West Acton tube. Yesterday (29th July) there were sightings of her in the morning near Chiswick Park tube and she was finally recovered near Acton Green in the early evening.

Dita is reported to be unharmed and well after her wanderings. Her owner, Fiona Evans, believed that her odyssey was an attempt to return to Chiswick House Grounds where she was first lost.

Speaking after the reunion she said, "I really can't believe it myself but Dita is now home safe and sound and after her travels from Chiswick House and back to Chiswick via Hammersmith, Barnes, Kew, Brentford, Boston Manor, Ealing and Acton. She is looking great considering though is skinnier then usual.

"The last stage of operation Dita really started yesterday morning when I started to get calls that she was being seen going along Uxbridge Road and then Gunnersbury Lane around 8 to 8.30 am. Then around lunchtime received calls that Dita was seen going down Bollo Lane and into Fairlawn Avenue and Grove around 11 to 11.30 am.

"After work, Team Dita then decided to split Chiswick into areas so that we were covering as much ground as possible to find her. Then I received a call from Fiona Campbell that Dita had just been seen going down Acton Lane to South Parade, a quick text to everyone and we did a pincher movement on the area.

"We were joined by an angel cycling in bare feet who managed to keep spotting Dita zooming along all the roads in Bedford Park....mobile phones buzzing and legs frantically peddling...up and down various roads... I always seemed to just miss her.......then another phone call...quick look at the map......directions from Sarah and down Marlborough Crescent....spotted Dita German Shepherd turned into Dita the greyhound or whippet......boy, she can move!...called her and then she stopped.....looked at me as if to say where have you been?..... and finished her travels."

She continued, "I have so many people to thank Ruth, Sarah G, Sarah M, Jo, Kate, Helen, Beccy, Eve, Sacha, James, Ade, Rachel, Jonathan - the searchers and poster pasters. Fiona Campbell who got us in the right place - please call me so that I can thank-you as I have so many received calls in my mobile I do not know which is your number. The angel cycling in bare feet who kept on spotting Dita on all the roads in Bedford Park [Chiswick resident Silvia Diaz]. All those people who took the time to call and let me know where she was.... the kindness of everyone has been awesome.

"The editors of the Chiswick, Hammersmith, Brentford, Acton, Ealing and Wandsworth websites for putting her details up and so many other people I e-mailed. Operation poster removal now begins....if anyone passes a poster can they please remove it."

Fiona concluded "I am so, so grateful for everyone's help."

July 30, 2008