"We were just waiting for a miracle and to be honest, we got one," said Barragup resident Peter Phelps after being reunited with his missing dog Shaka after 25 days.
On August 3 Mr Phelps' doberman, Nike, and Rhodesian ridgeback, Shaka, had gotten out of his property.
Unfortunately, that same day Nike passed away when she was struck by a car. However, the four-year-old Shaka was still missing.
The family launched into action, informing the community that their beloved dog was lost and the community responded in force.
"There was a massive Facebook campaign, we had searches going everywhere, we had people with drones come out," said Mr Phelps.
"I didn't realise how quickly you can spread the word. It's been absolutely amazing.
"We just had that much interest. Honestly, there's been that many people helping out, it's been overwhelming for me. I was just beside myself."
Mr Phelps' 16-year-old daughter, Khyndra, ran the social media campaign and was scouring online to find any information she could.
"She took hold of this social media thing and she was searching through Facebook ... basically ran it all," said Mr Phelps. "Everyday she'd be ringing me going, 'dad there is a dog loose here', and I'd be running around looking, trying to track these dogs down.
"I drove all the way to Bunbury ... because someone said there was a brown dog deceased on the side of the road.
"In the first week, I probably only slept about four hours. I was beating every bush ... I was trying to track him. It was a mammoth, mammoth effort."
With no sign of Shaka the family were nearly losing hope, even thinking he could've been stolen.
But no one gave up on the adored pup and after 25 days the family were delivered the miracle they'd been asking for, finding Shaka alive.
"[He was] in someone's back-paddock, in a shed, in this sort of hole he had dug himself. He'd lost 33 kilos and he had a broken leg," said Mr Phelps. "But at least we'd gotten my dog back.
"Unfortunately, we couldn't save his leg, because he'd been lying in the bush for too long, so Pinjarra Veterinary Hospital amputated his leg a day before yesterday.
"But I've got my dog back. Everything else is incidental. That was my focus from the start. We managed to get him back, albeit with a new nickname, Tripod."
Mr Phelps wanted to thank everyone who was involved with the search for Shaka and to let them know they'd found him alive.
"We found him with a massive effort from everyone," he said. "I really want to acknowledge the Pinjarra Veterinary Hospital. The staff have just been absolutely amazing.
Mr Phelps appreciated the work of Adrian and the Murray Ranger Services for their help.
"The outpouring of love and help from the community, Mandurah, as far as Perth and inland to Collie," he said. It's come from everywhere and it's been amazing to see."
Mr Phelps also wanted to thank Khyndra for all of her effort and the support much of the community had shown her.
"She's only 16 and she has been an absolute stalwart. She has been so strong," he said. "She's blowing my mind. I've got a whole new respect for her."
Shaka is back home, recovering from his surgery and will spend the next little while getting used to having three legs. Khyndra has started a Facebook group following the pup's recovery - Shaka's Recovery.
Overall Peter, Khyndra and the rest of their family are ecstatic to have Shaka safe and back home, and are incredibly thankful to the massive wave of support from the community.
Finn Coleman
Having grown-up in the Hawkesbury, I understand the importance of the Hawkesbury Gazette in highlighting stories that members of the local community care about - including events, businesses, sports and the people that make our town unique.
Having grown-up in the Hawkesbury, I understand the importance of the Hawkesbury Gazette in highlighting stories that members of the local community care about - including events, businesses, sports and the people that make our town unique.
