Anyone who has ever had the privilege and delight of owning a pet will understand the anguish when their companion goes missing.
The thought of not knowing where they’ve got to, and if they are distressed and alone, can be difficult to live with.
Lost Paws NI had, until a month ago, been receiving up to 60 calls every day from families desperate for help in finding pets who had gone astray.
They had been using the latest technology, including thermal drones, to help reunite pets with their owners and, in the worst case, at least giving closure to families who receive bad news.
But of most importance was manpower — the right number of the right people in the right place to carry out searches that would otherwise have been impossible.
But those ‘right people’ have been difficult to recruit. The number of suitable volunteers to take part in searches has been falling to such an extent that the charity, which had been running since 2019, hasn’t been operational for the last month.
Although Lost Paws NI is best known for its strong social media presence, it is much more than just a lost and found Facebook page.
Lisburn man Andrew Forbes, who set the page up and has been at the forefront of its efforts to reunite pets and owners, knows what it feels like to lose — and be reunited with — a pet, having been through the emotions when his own dog escaped in 2012.
Had he not spent hours out on the ground, searching himself, the story could have been different.
All charities depend on the kindness of strangers, those who volunteer to help. They are not run as a business.
As he explains today, Andrew has the tools for the job. He has, in himself, the attitude and dedication for the job too.
What is lacking is the funding, and enough like-minded pet lovers willing to give a little of their time to do the job, in what can be often trying circumstances.
Between five and 10 additional volunteers are needed to resurrect the service, Andrew says.
And while he admitted the task isn’t always an easy one, saying “our volunteers experience the worst of the worst in terms of animal welfare,” he’s hopeful that the right people will come forward to lend their support.
Let’s hope so.
The work that volunteers like Andrew and his team do can sometimes be overlooked, but they ensure people can experience the joy and relief of knowing their companion is home safe and well.