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- Note - You can hear Jeff's 3-12-00 interview with Bill
Northern in our program Archives
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- Retired farmer Tony Prentice had almost given up hope
of seeing his 13-year-old fox terrier, Mouse, again after she went missing
in wild country for nine days.
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- Mouse and Mr Prentice, 76, have been almost inseparable
since his wife died, but Mr Prentice had to leave Mouse with his daughter
when he was offered a flight to the Warbirds Over Wanaka air show at Easter.
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- Mouse disappeared from his daughter's farm at Ngaio Downs,
north of Kaikoura, on the second night of her stay.
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- The family was devastated and the community rallied around
to try to find the tiny dog. "Our problem was where to start looking,"
Mr Prentice said.
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- One of his other daughters decided to contact a horse
whisperer in the United States. She had been impressed with Bill Northern's
ability with animals when he had recently toured New Zealand.
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- She faxed and e-mailed Mr Northern a location map and
photographs of Mouse, and he used a pendulum to try to find where she was.
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- He told Mr Prentice that Mouse was still alive, although
frightened, and was hiding in rough country. He said she had hurt her foot
and had a sore eye, both of which were found to be the case.
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- After a few days of trying to pinpoint Mouse, Mr Northern
telephoned from Virginia on Wednesday afternoon to say he had a strong
message that she was at the Clarence bridge.
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- A short time later a man telephoned asking about the
$500 reward for the missing dog. He was in the Clarence bridge area and
said she had been found on an island at the mouth of the Clarence River.
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- After nine days in the wild, Mouse was overjoyed to be
reunited with Mr Prentice. He paid the reward and was happy Mouse was back.
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- Editor of the Editorial Pages
- The Press - Christchurch 5-8-00
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- Dear Sir,
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- I want to thank you for the nice article about us which
appeared in Monday's paper. You should know that I was not the only one
looking for the wee dog "Mouse" who had gone missing . This was
truly an international effort. In the US there was my wife Ann and student
Jim Gottwald. In New Zealand there was Natalie Mallett of Christchurch,
Rose Frame of Dunsandel and Lester Morris of Central Otago. I have worked
with these people and they are all very good. They were probably more important
than I was in keeping tabs as to where "Mouse" was each day.
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- It is always very difficult to lose a pet and even though
finding lost animals is not my strongest gift, I usually try to help. The
fact that we were contacted by Tony's daughter, Cindy Hampton right away
was a big help in our efforts. We are on a great streak right now which
I hope never ends.
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- Cheers,
- Bill Northern
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