Stray dog that survived 7 years in wild is rescued

A 12-year-old stray dog that went missing from his home seven years ago has been found by an animal rescue, with help from the local UK community, CNN reported.

Volunteer nonprofit Lost Dog Recovery UK South shared a Facebook post that outlined the rescue of the Patterdale terrier named Rose.

"At the end of November we got a message from a member of the public who had spotted a little black dog running in the road near Crawley Down, West Sussex...

"Realising it could just have been an “owned dog allowed to roam” situation, a camera was taken over and food left anyway until more information could be gathered. The little dog was on camera at 11pm and 3am that first night, 3 times the next night, and by the third day already appeared to be “waiting” for dinnertime, watching us park and walk up to the camera site," the Facebook post read.

The nonprofit learnt that Rose was known to and being fed by the locals and had been in the area for years.

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Lost Dog Recovery UK South learnt the dog was in good condition and was cared for, but greying eyebrows and muzzle showed Rose is a senior dog.

After a few days of establishing a meal routine, the nonprofit managed to lure Rose into a secure cage with warm roast chicken.

"Looking over her shoulder a lot, and taking it nice and slowly, she made her way inside the trap, finally treading on the footplate and triggering the door,” the Facebook post read.

“Understandably, she was shocked and scared, but very gentle,” the rescue said.

Rose has a microchip, so rescuers were able to figure out her name. They also learnt she went missing in March 2017 within 24 hours of being adopted.

Rose's original owners had been contacted but they had relocated and were unable to care for her.

The nonprofit said they had been inundated with rehoming enquiries but Rose's care has been passed on to a rehoming animal rescue.