DIO staff reunite dog with owner after month lost on firing range

Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO) staff have reunited a lost dog with its owner after the pet went missing during a walk on a military training area a month ago.

It is thought Barnaby the Border Terrier raced away from his owner Quentin Standish-Hayes and became trapped in a hole after catching the scent of a deer during an outing on Lulworth Ranges, Dorset, in October.

Distraught Mr Standish-Hayes searched for hours for his beloved eight-year-old dog and appealed to Range Control staff to help find him. As the weeks passed staff conducted regular searches of the vast training area in the hope of sighting the missing animal.

It was not until four weeks later that local fisherman Joey Miller heard the dog barking in the distance as he was hauling his pots off nearby Worbarrow Bay. Mr Miller brought his boat closer to shore to investigate and with the help of his son Levi managed to coax Barnaby towards him using a bacon sandwich.

The men contacted Range Control staff who then arranged a patrol to bring Barnaby to safety and he was finally reunited with his owner.

Barnaby was found in good health despite having lost around a third of his bodyweight. It is thought he may have survived by drinking rainwater before finally wriggling free.

DIO workers, based at the range, were so touched by the dog’s safe return they have decided to make him an honorary member of staff and plan to present him with a special certificate.

Lieutenant Colonel (Rtd) Ken Davies who is the Range Liasion Officer for Lulworth said:

“This is a truly remarkable story of survival and we were thrilled that we were able to help reunite Barnaby with his owner.

“The fact that the dog came home safely is not only a testament to his tenacity but also the hard work of range staff.”

Quentin Standish-Hayes said:

“With more than a month of no news, we were struggling to come to terms with the fact that Barnaby most probably wasn’t coming back. We’d looked everywhere we could, but there had been no sign of him.  

“DIO’s Range Control staff showed great understanding and compassion, reassuring me that everyone was keeping a keen eye out for him. Later I learnt just how much effort did go into trying to find my boy and it’s truly humbling.  

“It’s a great story of survival by a dog, but also a great example of human kindness and the relationship we British have with our dogs.

“I shall be eternally grateful to DIO staff and, of course, Levi and Joey for spotting Barnaby and picking him up. I don’t believe he could have survived much longer out there alone. Thankfully, Barnaby’s already putting on weight and enjoying the comforts of home.”

Lulworth Rangesare located on the south coast, between Weymouth and Poole. The Lulworth Range comprises more than 2,830 hectares and is within an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and is a Site of Special Scientific Interest.

The site is managed by the Defence Infrastructure Organisation(DIO), which is responsible for maintaining the MOD’s land and property.

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Further information:

Press enquiries to Tony Moran, Senior Communications Officer 0121 311 3879 or email tony.moran572@mod.uk

DIO website:www.gov.uk/dio

Twitter: @mod_dio

Read DIO’s blog: https://insidedio.blog.gov.uk/

Notes to Editors

1.  The Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO) plays a vital role in supporting our Armed Forces by building, maintaining and servicing what the men and women who serve our country need to live, work, train and deploy on operations. We are working hard to become even better by becoming a world-class infrastructure delivery organisation over the next few years.

2.  DIO is part of the Ministry of Defence (MOD). It is responsible for managing and maintaining land and properties, as well as providing related support services, to meet the current and future needs of the MOD and personnel at home and abroad, and to support current operations.

3.  Our work includes supporting operational units by providing and improving single      living and service family accommodation; training areas and historic military sites. DIO actively manages these to ensure the needs of Defence are met, value for money is achieved, and its heritage is protected, and to achieve its environmental goals.

4.  Picture Caption: Quentin Standish-Hayes and Barnaby

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