The lower South West community has once again rallied to help find a beloved missing pet, following a car accident near Karridale last week.
Opi the dog was travelling with his owner on Brockman Highway between Nannup and Karridale at around 8pm on Tuesday January 21 when the car was involved in an accident.
Opi's owner, who is from Bridgetown, got out of the vehicle to attend to his passenger when Opi made a dash into the bush.
Tracey Moore, the mother of the dog's owner, said she was exhausted after rushing from Perth to help locate the adored pet.
"Opi ran off in a southerly direction, towards Augusta," she said. "We've been out four nights camping at the site where he was last seen, and on the fifth night we drove around for 5 hours.
"We've been out every day putting flyers up and maintaining a food station, my son's clothes are scattered everywhere in the hope Opi catches the scent and comes home."
The family are desperate to find the four year old dog and have received help from the region's Police, who put out a social media call last week to help locate him.
The search efforts echo the community-driven hunt for missing dogs Hella and Gaston in mid-2019.
The Bull Terriers were reunited with their family after running off into bushland - Hella coming home after six days, and Gaston spending a huge 19 days in the bush before being found.
The family behind the latest search are holding out hope that they will soon be reunited with Opi.
"We are hoping he is lost and not injured, we're assuming lost as he ran and ran," said Ms Moore. "He's a beautiful boy but very timid. Unfortunately the car has been taken away so he has no familiarity with the area now. We're at a loss as to what to do now, but I'll head out again tomorrow."
The family are also searching for someone with a dog capable of tracking Opi's scent.
"Please get in touch with us if you can help, we are happy to pay for your time. We can't think what else to do, we're just heartbroken and need him home where he is trying to be."
We are hoping he is lost and not injured, we're assuming lost as he ran and ran...
- Tracey Moore
Opi was wearing a silver collar with an ID tag when he went missing. He is not desexed and has a long, thick black tail. Sightings of Opi can be reported to 0476 920 448 or 0437 480 615.
Nicky Lefebvre
I am a journalist, photographer and content creator based in the beautiful Margaret River wine region, covering all aspects of our community including local news, sport, entertainment and events, as well as providing a platform for our readers to share their voices direct from regional Australia.
I am a journalist, photographer and content creator based in the beautiful Margaret River wine region, covering all aspects of our community including local news, sport, entertainment and events, as well as providing a platform for our readers to share their voices direct from regional Australia.
