A happy tail as dog warden reunites Zazu with owner

Carmarthenshire County Council’s dog warden has played a part in an emotional reunion between a dog who’d been missing more than a year, and his owner who had started to give up hope of ever seeing him again.

Simon Hansell, a council warden for over 10 years, said he’s never been involved in a story with such a happy ending after reuniting six-year-old Shitzu-Bichon Frise cross Zazu with his owner last week.

Zazu had gone missing from the family home in Ferryside in April 2015 when he escaped through a gate that had been left open, and despite their best efforts including an extensive social media campaign and phone calls to hundreds of vets and kennels, his owner Karen Howell couldn’t track him down.

On Thursday however, Karen’s daughter Keja was contacted by a friend who had seen a Llandeilo vet’s Facebook post about a stray dog and there started the story that would end in a very emotional reunion.

“We hadn’t given up hope – he was a part of our family, and it was awful that we couldn’t find him. We’ve always kept an eye on missing dogs pages and Facebook,” said 22-year-old Keja.

“On Thursday, my best friend phoned me and said a dog like Zazu had been found, so I rung the kennels who put me in contact with the dog warden Simon, and when I sent him photos he said he did think it was our dog, but couldn’t be 100% and to come and take a look. We just couldn’t believe it!

“I was afraid that it wouldn’t be him or that he wouldn’t recognise me, but as soon as I saw him, I knew it was him – he was a little weary at first, but within a few seconds his tail started wagging and he came to me – it was amazing.

“My mother was on a flight to Canada but I called her when she landed and she just can’t believe it.”

Keja believes that Zazu may have been picked up and kept by someone who tried to use him for breeding, unaware that he had been neutered.

When he was found, he was infested with fleas, had a bad skin condition and was dirty and matted. He was also very nervous and did not interact well with people – a sign that he may have been neglected for some time. He has since been treated by vets and is getting back to good health.

“He’s getting better and better, sleeping a lot probably because now he can finally relax,” said Keja. “We’ve been out on some short walks, and we’ve introduced him to our new dog Madi who we bought for my mother a few months ago to help her get over losing Zazu.

“We had so much support from people in Carmarthenshire when he went missing, it was lovely to share the good news. A video we posted on Facebook has already had around 9,000 views.

“We can’t thank Simon, the dog warden service, the kennels and the vets enough.”

Simon was pleased to play a part in the reunion, and said this heart-warming story would give hope to other owners of missing pets.

“It’s lovely to see an owner that didn’t give up and to have a good story with a happy ending – it’s nice to make a difference,” he said.

“As dog wardens, our priority is to reunite owners with their pets. If we cannot do that, we work with vets and rescue centres to deal with any health issues and do our best to re-home them with loving families.

“I would urge all dog owners to please get their dogs micro-chipped – this helps us to reunite lost dogs with their owners much more quickly – and please keep contact details up to date if you move address or change phone numbers. It’s also the law that dogs must wear a collar and tag with contact details when they are outdoors – this again helps us find owners more quickly.

“Lastly, if any member of the public finds a stray dog – please contact the dog warden service – it’s important that we’re aware of all strays. We will take care of their welfare and do our best to find their legitimate owners even if you are making your own efforts by using social media. Unfortunately, there are some unscrupulous people out there that will claim a lost dog even if it’s not theirs.”

Carmarthenshire County Council deals with around 800 stray dogs every year. To find out more, or to find out what to do if you find a stray dog, or if yours has gone missing, visit www.carmarthenshire.gov.wales.

Watch this heart-warming video of Zazu being reunited with his owner Keja Howell