IT was the power of the paper that delivered Coco the kelpie back home to distraught owners Franco and Anne Bortoli.
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On Wednesday, June 20, Coco was spooked by a starter pistol at Stuart Park where a school carnival was being held.
The seven year old was so frightened that she took off in a flash and was missing for several days.
Dog-sitting for their granddaughter, who is at university in Brisbane, the Bartoli's were distraight they had lost the family's beloved rescue dog.
Then, after the Port News ran the story on social media and in our June 29 newspaper, they received a phone call.
"He said 'are you missing a little person at your house?' and I thought it was a joke," Anne said.
"I burst into tears. We dropped everything and raced over to the house to collect her. She jumped all over us and I burst into tears again ... we were so thankful."
Coco had not gotten very far. Only a couple of hundred metres, along Hibbard Drive.
"She actually had followed a man who was out for a walk. The man was only visiting and saw the story in the newspaper," they explained.
"She had a collar on but our numbers had worn out. The power of social media was incredible. I had so many people and friends asking us if we had found her.
"We want to say thank you to all the people who came looking for her, for sharing the story and of course to the young man who found her.
"We won't be letting her off the leash too often anymore."
Matt Attard
I was raised in Port Macquarie and consider myself a true Port local. I'm a die-hard rugby league fan and don't mind taking a photo or two. I'd love to hear from you, so please contact me at any time.
I was raised in Port Macquarie and consider myself a true Port local. I'm a die-hard rugby league fan and don't mind taking a photo or two. I'd love to hear from you, so please contact me at any time.
