Story of the return of Max, the dog

MOSSEL BAY NEWS - The tale of the disappearance of Max the dog from his home in De Bakke, Mossel Bay, has a happy ending.

Max is a German shorthaired pointer, aged about 12 months.

After going missing on Wednesday, 5 June, Max returned to his home in Sixth Avenue of his own accord on Saturday, 8 June.

The Mossel Bay Advertiser was contacted on Thursday morning, 6 June, and asked to put out the news, together with photographs, that Max was missing.

Facebook page

The Advertiser posted a note on its Facebook page.

The Facebook post was read and shared by a substantial number of people.

Max's owner, Thami Douse, said: "Where we stay, our neighbours and ourselves share common ground."
Thami's neighbour has a carer and when she left after work on Wednesday afternoon, just before 15:00, Max snuck out of the gate after her.

Thami expected Max to return home that Wednesday evening, but when he didn't, Thami informed WhatsApp groups that he is part of, that Max had gone missing.

Thami's friend, Kwezi Mathoba, suggested to him that he also publicise that Max was missing via the Advertiser's Facebook site. Thami told the Advertiser: "We found Max through your help and that of many other platforms."

People called Thami

A number of people called Thami and said they had spotted Max in different streets.

"A lady called me on Saturday. I take Max for a walk on the railway line at Santos and De Bakke beaches often. The lady and her daughter were walking there. She said she saw Max."

Then Thami was informed that Max was spotted at his front door and helpful neighbours took Max to their house and kept him safe until Thami fetched him.

'Running a lot'

"Max is fine," Thami reports. "Wherever he went, he must have been running a lot and on tar."

Thami said the skin had come off the pads of his back paws from this running.

"We are treating that. Max was traumatised and anxious, but he is slowly getting back to his usual, crazy self," Thami said.

"We are trying to tighten security even more, so he can't get out."

Thami is grateful for the concern and help from the community. "Everyone jumped in to help. Max is a lively, active dog. Everyone knows him."