by Wendy Johnson
THE owners of Ellie, the five-year-old Spaniel that went missing from the Lymm Dam area in December last year, have confirmed they have received the saddest news their family has been dreading to hear for almost five months.
Ellie was discovered in a field by a local farmer, off Higher Lane on Sunday, said grief-stricken Laura Drinkwater, of Fairfield Road in Lymm. It is believed she was found near a ditch in a secluded spot that is seldom worked on and added that she had been there ‘for some time’. Ellie was identified by her black and white collar by Laura’s husband Neil who was with family friend and local dog walker Ali Cooper.
Their beloved pet was located not too far from the point she went missing on December 5th, in an area close to what is known locally as ‘The Bongs’ and ironically, less than five minutes from the family home.
Ellie’s disappearance sparked off a village campaign, and it expanded further afield, to try to find the missing Red/Golden Cocker and the Drinkwaters, who vowed they would never give up searching for her, were overwhelmed by the response from residents, family and friends, with Laura confessing that she was heartened by offers of help that came from people who she had never met before.
Ellie’s story was circulated far and wide, including social media, the national dog search and rescue network and tracking specialists. The Drinkwaters left no stone unturned, even putting up a substantial reward for her safe return and turning to high-tech, eye-in-the-sky drones to try to detect their missing ‘fur sibling’.
Holding back her tears Laura explained: “We received the message from a local farmer as I was just about to go out and circulate posters around the area of Frodsham following reports of a sighting of a dog fitting Ellie’s description. We are all devastated. At least we have closure, but this isn’t the outcome we had hoped for. It would have extended our living nightmare if we were never to find her. I am so grateful to the farmer who found her and for contacting us.”
Laura said she had reached out to everyone and anything that could help her find her missing pet, even going down the road of spiritualism in the hope that pet psychics could provide the tiniest chink of detail that would bring her faithful friend home.
Laura said: “Since Ellie’s disappearance we have struggled to function with everyday life. Ellie was our absolute world. From the day she went missing our household has been in limbo, but we brought her ashes home yesterday (Tuesday) and we thank Eternal Paws in Lymm for being so supportive and kind.” She also added that she was also grateful for the ‘emotional support’ currently being offered by some of the specialist groups that had been involved in the search for Ellie.
“This news has rocked us all. It’s reliving that nightmare over again. I would have still been searching for our Ellie in ten years’ time if she hadn’t been found. I would like to thank all those who have helped in our search for darling Ellie – the Drinkwaters really appreciate it.”
Laura said she was now going to turn the focus on her fundraising effort, in Ellie’s name, to buy a state-of-the-art, all-weather, thermal drone to help locate missing dogs and cats in Lymm and the surrounding area. Already halfway towards its £10,000 target, anyone wishing to help the Drinkwaters can do so via ‘GoFundMe’ and donate to ‘Ellie’s Lymm Thermal Drone Fund’ page.
