Joy as missing Sophie is found in Cooley mountains

A mAn who organised a search party for a missing dog in the Cooley mountains has said he is “over the moon” that she has been found.

David Keane from Swords told the Dundalk Leader that he put his “heart and soul” into finding Sophie, the lost Springer Spaniel.

Sophie was being walked by David on the Táin Way at the Slieve Foy Trek stop when she ran off over a week ago.

Sophie doesn’t belong to David; she is owned by a woman called Jackie who isn’t in a position to walk her.

David works as a sub-contractor for a courier company and got to know Jackie and Sophie while making deliveries.

“I was eating, sleeping, and dreaming about getting Sophie back. Last Saturday, I camped up on the hills and brought sausages and beef stir-fry in the hopes that she would catch the scent,” said David.

“She was up on the hills for the week and just came down 40 minutes before the planned search.

“She was found 2km from where I had camped. I was just outside Fitzpatrick’s for 9.15am on Sunday morning.”

He added: “I was greeting people who had turned up to take part in the search when the wife of the man who found Sophie called me.

“The man who found her, marcus, said he recognised Sophie straight away thanks to the power of social media.

“marcus was dropping his daughter to work and the car in front swerved to avoid Sophie. But marcus recognised her and stopped and opened his car door and she hopped in straight away.”

David continued: “marcus video called me and when I saw Sophie’s harness I knew straight away it was her.

“I was an absolute emotional wreck. We met at the Granvue Hotel in Omeath and Sophie was over the moon. myself and her owner, Jackie, were really emotional.

“Thankfully, there wasn’t a scratch on

Sophie even though she was gone for seven days. I’m considering bringing her on the Kerry Way next but she will have a GPS tracker.”

David concluded: “I am extremely grateful to the local community. So many locals from Omeath and Carlingford volunteered for the search. It’s been a whirlwind of a week.”

While this particular story finished with a happy ending walkers are once again reminded that dogs are not allowed up on the Cooley mountains.

Last year Cooley IFA chair matthew mcGreehan, speaking in the Farmers Journal, warned people that