Dog found, but serious concerns for owner - Otago Daily Times
A dog which belongs to a missing Omarama man was found safe and well yesterday, but police say chances of finding Rod Murdoch alive are fading. The 71-year-old Omarama man was last seen at 9. 30am on August 6, heading north along State Highway 8 in his green 1994 Toyota Hilux Surf, registration number CHW194. He was driving slowly along the road with his black and grey schnauzer Bud running beside him, before letting the dog into the utility. Yesterday morning, police picked up his dog about 5km north of the township on State Highway 8, near Prohibition Rd - close to where the dog was last seen with his master. Pupils on a school bus heading for Twizel spotted the dog and the bus pulled over. Constable Nayland Smith, of Omarama, said Bud was checked by vets in Omarama yesterday, after being missing for seven days. Const Smith said finding Mr Murdoch's dog north of Omarama was an indication of his direction of travel. ''We're pretty confident that he's headed north from there. A large Search and Rescue (SAR) operation has already been undertaken by Omarama, North Otago and Dunedin SAR teams, including voluntary flights by two planes from aero clubs in Omarama and Central Otago. Const Smith said he was organising more extensive ground, aerial and underwater searches for this weekend with Omarama SAR, and other volunteers from outlying areas. Source: www.odt.co.nz
