A DOG owner is employing a drone to search for her missing pooch almost three weeks after he went missing in the Blackdown Hills.

Nicky Fox, who had been staying with family in Wellington over Christmas, was out for a walk with her two dogs on Staple Hill on Boxing Day when they both ran off.

She said: "One of them returned, but the other Milo did not.

"The agonising search continues, and everything in my life is cancelled so I can stay here and work with the amazing local search and rescue teams to try and find him."

Somerset County Gazette:

Reports in the national media about the successful search for a missing dog named Ulysse using a thermal drone caught Nicky's attention earlier this week.

She said: "We’ve had dozens of messages suggesting we use thermal drones to find Milo. The fact is, we are.

"Ulysse’s is a wonderful story, and also misleading.

"The technology is only useful when you have a small potential search area.

"Sadly, ours is very large. Milo could be anywhere within several miles radius of Staple Hill, though Canine Search And Rescue experts believe he could still be in the large connected woodland area between there, Castle Neroche and Wych Woods. Or anywhere.

"We believe he is still alive, but scared and hiding, but he must be hungry, and will eventually let himself be seen out of desperation."

Somerset County Gazette:

Nicky added: "What is way more important than the technology is local awareness and support.

"The tech kicks in once you have positive sightings of the dog.

"We are still waiting for those, although we’ve raced out on a number of alerts, which have not yet turned out to be my little dog.

"I’ve been blown away by the massive support I have received from the people of Taunton and the Blackdown Hills, and I think this should be shouted about loudly. This community is amazing."