Bob in the doghouse!

Mick Nield and Bob

Canine star redeems himself after going AWOL 

BOB the Oldham Mountain Rescue dog sparked a full scale search himself when he went missing.

The border collie was found lounging on a sofa after being spooked by a cat and running away — but redeemed himself by getting straight back to work and tracking down an injured walker.

Owner and handler Mick Neild, team leader of Oldham Mountain Rescue, was on holiday in Tenerife and explained: “A friend was looking after him. He was off the lead near her house when a cat jumped on his back and had a rodeo ride for about 50 yards.

“The cat stuck its claws in and she just heard this big wail. Bob set off running and she couldn’t keep up with him.”

Facebook and Twitter were brought into action to pleas for help with the search, and mountain rescue colleagues formed a search party. Bob, whose ID tag had fallen off, was found about seven hours later. “He went into a garage where a guy was working on some cars,” said Mick.

“He made himself at home on a settee and when the lads walked into the garage he was there, lording it up.”

Placid Bob, who is trained not to chase animals, was back in action on Tuesday evening on Blackstone Edge above Hollingworth Lake. He tracked down an injured walker who was airlifted to the Royal Oldham Hospital with a suspected broken ankle. “So Bob’s back in the good books again,” said Mick






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