Families on the Northern Beaches will sleep better tonight now that one of its own has been reunited with her parents after spending the weekend lost in Collaroy bushland.
Dog owners Perry and Selina Han were overseas on a family trip, when Violet, a Ridgeback Kelpie X got separated from minders last Friday near Deep Creek Reserve in Narrabeen, sparking a community search involving police, firefighters, multiple drones, hundreds of flyers, and over 900 members on ‘Find Violet’ facebook group who postered all throughout the Beaches. Manly Observer was tagged in a social media post almost every hour across the weekend. The determination was fierce.
After a few scattered sightings over the weekend, the search was narrowed on Monday evening (3 April) to cliff faces near Edgecliff Blvd, after resident Jamie Postle and his mother Julia heard distant howling at the back of their property in Collaroy Plateau.
Once Perry, who had returned from Korea to join the search, identified the howling as Violet’s, local residents jumped into action.
A group of kids from Lindley Ave climbed up through dense bushland to meet two truckloads of firefighters abseiling down from Edgecliff Blvd, with the belief Violet had gotten stuck on an escarpment, however the night time search was ultimately called off around 9pm due to darkness.
The search began again at sunrise today 4 April, with one of several helping locals, Jamie Postle joining other residents in flying multiple drones to scan through the canopies.
“Neighbours were letting us into their houses to get vantage points and look over cliffs,” he said.
“It’s just crazy how much the community has come together…We’ve met neighbours we didn’t even know existed.”
“It’s just crazy how much the community has come together…We’ve met neighbours we didn’t even know existed.”
Violet managed to find her way out of the thick bush, encouraged by the sound of search parties and drones overhead.
A confirmed sighting was called in at 7:24am to Arthur & Co Pet Detectives (who had been recruited for the search) by a couple who had seen Violet in a yard and had recognised her from geo-targetted ads being run in the area.
“Dogs move so quickly, it’s sometimes like a needle in a haystack,” a private eye from Arthur & Co said.
“Recent sightings are of critical importance, and that was a critical thing in this case.”
Violet was finally reunited with her owner Perry near his car on Blandford St, in an emotional moment captured on video.
Onge Dre, who captured the reunion, said he saw the posts about Violet missing and started driving around in search with his dog Bronte by his side. “The past two days has seen a lot of activity with the firies and police involved. This morning was an early start, and once Violet was sighted everything hit another gear. After an extreme hour or so, Violet was receiving the biggest hug of her life be her owner Perry, and the tears flowed. Amazing community, amazing outcome!”
In a video posted later to the ‘Find Violet’ group, Perry thanked all of those who had come out to support them and search for Violet, showing her lying fast asleep on carpet at home.
“She went to the vet on the way home and she got the all clear. A few bumps and scratches but otherwise all good. We’ve come home, had a bath. She’s all clean, and now she’s just absolutely exhausted, so she’s having a big sleep,” he said.
“We wanted to thank everyone. We’re all super relieved, and we just can’t believe how amazing the community has been in helping us find her.”
