When the Gingell Family’s 15-year-old dog Tiggy went missing for ten days they didn’t think they’d see here again. Tiggy is both deaf and blind and the family feared the worst for Tiggy.
The family, including Tiggy, was visiting relatives near Kiln Green, England when Tiggy vanished into the woods. At first the Gingell’s thought Tiggy had just wandered off to go through a neighbors garbage, “She is very greedy,” said Sally Gingell. Tiggy was nowhere to be found though. Sally took her children back home and then returned to look for Tiggy with her sister. “We hunted for hours and went through every garden in the area and also looked in the woods.” Sally returned the next day as well to continue the search. With no sign of Tiggy anywhere the family was giving up hope. “We did not think we would see her again and were devastated,” said Freddie, Sally’s 13-year-old son.
Last Tuesday Sally got an unexpected phone call at work. Tiggy had shown up on the doorstep of a couple in the neighboring village of Knowl Hill. Tiggy was tired, weak and very skinny. She was still wearing her collar and the couple in Knowl Hill was able to get a hold of Sally through the contact information on Tiggy’s tags.
Sally left work to go pick up Tiggy and texted her children to share the good news. Her 11-year-old daughter Kitty couldn’t believe it, “We were so upset when Tiggy went missing so when she came back it was the best day of my life. I could not believe it when mum texted us at school – I kept checking my phone to make sure it was real.” The whole family was thrilled to have Tiggy back including their two other dogs Toffee and Sooty.
Tiggy spent her first week at home recovering and eating well to build up her strength. By the following week she was feeling well enough to go for walks again. The family took a thank you gift to the couple in Knowl Hill for finding Tiggy. The whole family keeps a special eye on her now, cherishing their time with her, “When we watch television at night we keep her on our laps as it is all extra time now,” said Freddie.
