Sligo family’s plea for help in tracing missing dogs – ‘it’s like they vanished into thin air’

A Co Sligo family is calling on the public to help search for their beloved dogs who have not been seen since going for a walk in nearby fields on Wednesday afternoon. The female dogs, aged 12 and 10, belong to John Joe and Margaret Conlon from Highwood, Co Sligo.

There are searches ongoing in the area with many local people trying to help locate the beloved missing dogs.

John Joe and Margaret’s daughter Ailbhe said the family is desperately trying to get the dogs back home. A Facebook appeal has been shared hundreds of times.

Ailbhe told The Sligo Champion: “We have had no update since Wednesday and no sightings of where they might have disappeared to, it’s like they vanished into thin air.

“We are kind of presuming someone might have taken them in and are not on Facebook and aware of the appeal, that’s what we are hoping for. They went for a walk in the fields near my parents’ house with Dad on Wednesday around 1 o’clock in Highwood and they disappeared. To be fair from the Top of the Rock you can see a good area and they ran ahead which would be normal, bringing them out the fields for a run. They haven’t been seen since unfortunately.

“They are both spayed and they are older dogs. The family is really concerned as Mum and Dad have had them since they were pups. We’ve been out searching since and we’re really grateful for everyone who is helping.

“We were putting posters up in Ballyfarnon in the shops and people were asking about the dogs and people are aware of the Facebook appeal too but we haven’t seen or heard of any sightings.

“We’ve been out driving the roads and looking everywhere. The two dogs would be very close and they would go for a little wander but they would never be gone this length, they would be back in an hour.

“I suppose if we were advising what areas people could search, it would be anywhere from Highwood, Ballindoon, the Lake Road, Lough Bó, right into Crossna, Kilmac, Geevagh and Ballyfarnon, it’s a large area and the longer it goes on it is more worrying.

“We really want to thank everyone for helping and we have two drones going searching tomorrow, hopefully the weather plays ball and we get them home soon,” Ailbhe said.

Anyone with any possible sightings of the two dogs in the area can contact 086 8568166.

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