Published: Tuesday, 6th January, 2009 10:09am

Missing dog tale has happy ending

by David knox

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Hamish recovers from his ordeal at home in Galashiels.

A PERSISTENT plasterer has been hailed a hero after reuniting a runaway pup with his new family.

Hamish, a 12-week-old Border Collie, spent two nights on ice-cold Meigle Hill above Galashiels at the weekend.

And his new owners, Steven Robertson and Ceri Lewis, feared the worst as the illusive hound entered its third day of frozen and famished freedom.

Dad-of-three Steven, 29, told us: “We picked him up from a farm on Friday and brought him home to Galashiels - he’d never been handled by humans as he was raised by his mother in a barn.

“He was sick in the car on the way over so we put his collar on loosely. As soon as he got out of the car at Mossilee Road he did some somersaults and escaped out of his collar.

“I searched until after 10pm with a torch trying to find him on Friday and the same again on Saturday night.”

But tenacious tradesman Graeme Johnstone did manage to corner hungry Hamish after a second day of trying.

The publicity-shy plumber first found the missing pup on Saturday morning near the top of Meigle Hill.

And by phoning brother, Derek, he managed to establish through the local rescue centre that it had been reported lost.

Frozen Hearts fan Johnstone stayed close to Hamish for over two hours while its owners drove up a track from the Clovenfords side of the hill. But it legged it yet again before it could be collared.

The 47-year-old plasterer told the Border Telegraph: “I felt terrible when I was told it had run away again as I hadn’t stayed to help catch him. I just showed the bloke where it was and went home - I was frozen and the Edinburgh derby had started on TV.

“It was a really small dog and I wasn’t sure if would survive another night up there. I went back up at first light on Sunday and again it came out at about the same place.

“I spoke to it for a while until the owners came up - this time we managed to get it.”

Hamish finally made it to his new home on Sunday lunchtime - and is adapting well to a life of creature comforts with Steven and Ceri’s children, Bronwen, Tegen and Gethin.

Steven added: “He got a bath and a big dinner when we brought him home and he’s settled in well. He’s great with the kids and they all love him to bits.

“We’re all really grateful for what Graeme did and we hope he won’t have

to go looking for him again.”

editorial@bordertelegraph.com