Milo, a three-year-old chow whose photo has appeared on posters across Hartbeespoort and widely on social media over the past three months, was at long last found in a veld near the cableway by her owner, Kayla Postma, this week.
Milo and her sister, Lexi, went missing from an estate in Schoemansville on 2 March during a heavy rainstorm.
“My son accidentally left our gate open, and unfortunately, at the time, the estate gate was also not working. When I came home, Lexi and Milo were gone,” Kayla said.
“I was frantic. We immediately started searching, posted on social media and put up posters wherever we could. For three weeks, nothing. Then Lexi was spotted on the mountain behind the high school, and we found her. We were hoping Milo was also in the area and would be found soon after.”
However, there was no sign of Milo. Kayla, with the help of friends and the community, continued searching.
“I couldn’t stop. My dogs are like my children. You don’t give up on them. There is always hope, and when you believe, hope comes alive,” she said.
During the three-month search, Kayla followed every lead she received.
“We even went searching in Broederstroom after a possible sighting. I followed every lead I received.”
Then Milo was spotted on a smallholding in Melodie. She had become quite wild and had somehow survived on her own for three months.
Kayla borrowed a trap cage from the Hartbeespoort Animal Welfare Society (HAWS) and placed it, along with food, where Milo had been seen. The following morning, the landowners sent her a photo showing Milo safely inside the trap. Kayla rushed to the scene and was reunited with her beloved dog.
“It was overwhelming. My home is complete again. The reunion with her sister was beautiful. I have taken her to the vet and, besides a few scars from living in the bushes and being a bit underweight, she is in good health,” Kayla said.
“I want to express my heartfelt thanks to the friends who searched for months with me, especially Nino Smit who accompanied me into the bushes at night, and to the caring community who supported and assisted in the search. I have met amazing people on this journey, and it has taught me that faith is believing when everything tells you to stop. Thank you!”
