POLICE call handlers deal with a variety of incidents daily but a report of a missing guide dog was a first for one member of staff this morning. 

At 7.55am, call handler Karen Hodson took a call about guide dog Poppy who had been missing from her home in Salisbury for 30 minutes.

Karen said: “Although the caller wasn’t unduly distressed, he was beginning to get concerned. Unfortunately, he’d been unable to gain help from his neighbours. He clearly needs his dog, so it could have been quite unsafe for him to be out looking for her alone.

"We could see from mapping that there were several busy roads in the area and heaven forbid if Poppy went that way she could have injured herself and the public."

Officers were sent to the scene to try and help but Poppy returned home by 8.30am.

PCSO Jo Atkinson, who attended the scene, said: “Thankfully, Poppy came charging up the road towards us looking very pleased whilst we were talking to her owner.”

Karen added: “We are of course here to help all callers, but it’s fair to say we are animal lovers in the control room, especially dogs, and I was really pleased that Poppy was found safe and well. Guide dogs allow their owners to live independently and I know this incident would have been extremely worrying for Poppy’s owner."

 

Get more Salisbury news. 

You can also like our Facebook page and follow us on Twitter and Instagram to stay up to date, as well as signing up for one of our newsletters.

If you want online news with fewer ads, unlimited access and reader rewards - plus a chance to support our local journalism - find out more about registering or a digital subscription.

Email newsdesk@salisburyjournal.co.uk with your comments, pictures, letters and news stories.