3 days Ago By [email protected] (Emily Carubia)
'People have gone above and beyond to find Maila' A mum has been "blown away" by the support she has received since her dog went missing last week. Natasha Collins, from Upholland, Skelmersdale, said the community has been "absolutely amazing" in helping to find her missing pup. Natasha's three-year-old French bulldog, Maila, was last seen while out on an evening walk on Monday, October 28.
Natasha's friend was walking Maila along Leeds and Liverpool canal between Parbold and Appley Bridge when she "vanished off the face of the earth". It is thought she tried to run home after being allowed off the lead temporarily. The mum-of-two, 35, told the ECHO: "[My friend] took her off the lead to let her do a wee and whatnot, but when she turned back round, she'd vanished off the face of the earth.
She couldn't find her anywhere." Beyond the path that runs alongside the canal is a wood, and beyond that is the River Douglas. Natasha said: "I've been thinking the worst, thinking she could have fell in the river.
But nothing has been found out as of yet." Typical of a French bulldog, Maila often makes a "grunting sound" - whether she's running, walking, or sat down. But Natasha said her friend "didn't hear a thing".
She added: "There was no rustling in the bushes, nothing. It's just a mystery." Since Maila's disappearance, people from Parbold, Upholland, Skelmersdale , Wigan and beyond have been out everyday searching for her.
One woman has been out with her own dogs, two Border Collies, trying to find Maila after picking up her scent from her blanket. One woman even rode her bike from Wigan to help find the Frenchie. Natasha's post has been shared almost 500 times on Facebook .
Natasha said: "The community has been absolutely amazing. Not only Parbold but people from all different areas - Upholland, Skelmersdale, Burscough, Wigan and so on. The support has been incredible.
Not only with searching but also the social media aspect of it." One man, Andy Cz, travelled from Warrington with his family two days on the run, using his drone to try and find Maila in the area she went missing. Jennie Alton, from Lexi's Angels Dog Search and Support, searched with her own dogs and offered support and guidance for Natasha.
"There's people who don't even know us helping," Natasha said. "The amount of messages and phone calls I've had. People have gone above and beyond.
We've walked past people on the canal and they've asked, 'are you looking for the Frenchie?' It's been almost two weeks since Maila went missing. But the search continues, and Natasha remains hopeful she will come home. She added: "I'm at my wits end, I just don't know what to do anymore.
I just feel lost. We've done everything we possibly can and with no sightings, you just think the worst. But I've just got to stay hopeful we'll find her.
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