Written by Lauren Blackmore
Professional photography by Barry Bowditch Photography
At around 11:25am on Wednesday, the 16th of April, I was leaving the airport and about to take the turnoff to the toll to get to the highway when I saw a Rottweiler running alongside the road in the rain. I stopped on the side of the road and put my hazards on so that I could think about what I could do. I spoke with Mia (my previous au pair kid whom I was babysitting) on whether we should help or not. I decided that I was going risk it as the fear of putting an unknown Rottweiler in the car with us was quite scary!
I got out of the car and called him; he was very obviously looking for his owner and it took a bit of calling to get him to come to me, but then he kept circling the car. Inside the car we had a pie, so Mia was breaking pieces off to get him to come in, but the car was too high for him to jump up (I didn’t know at the time that he had an injured leg). A very kind man pulled up next to me and asked if I needed help, which meant so much as I was afraid to pick up Mufasa (whom at the time we’d named “Rubble on the Double” from Paw Patrol) in case he snapped at me or I hurt him.
This gentleman got out of the car in the rain and helped get Mufasa into the car. I never got his name, because as soon as he came, he was gone. Sir, if you’re reading this, thank you for your help and bravery!
We eventually put the pie in the boot section of the SUV and Mufasa lay there until we got to the Springfield SPCA. I’d called ahead, so when we arrived they gave us a chip-searching device but we weren’t able to locate anything. They said they’d keep him and have a look if the chip had migrated and then let us know what the protocol was for an owner to come or if he’d be put up for adoption. I asked if I could post about him on Facebook to see if I could find the owner. They said that I could but without photos or any description at all, just that it was a Rottweiler that I’d found near the airport, as there was always a possibility that people would try and claim him as their own.
I promptly put a post up and people commented almost immediately that they’d seen on other Facebook posts about a Rottweiler running near the airport. Then a lady named Tamaryn (thank you so so much, Tamaryn) commented with the lost poster and I phoned Lingo and asked him to give me details about his lost dog. He fit the description, except his dog was chipped, so I let him know that we couldn’t find a chip, but if we did, I’d get back to him and give him the details, etc.
Not thirty minutes later, I received a call back from Lingo saying that the SPCA had called him as they had his missing poster on file and the dog we left matched the description! The SPCA had asked to keep Mufasa overnight to fully check him out and said he could be fetched in the morning.
I asked Lingo if I could be there when they reunited, to which he agreed. I found out that Mufasa had been missing since October last year and Lingo had been following up on every lead to find his precious dog! Mufasa has siblings at home and they were all so sad to have lost him. Mufasa got re-chipped and went home to his siblings!
I hope that by sharing this Happy Tale, it educates others to “stop and help”... poor Mufasa was ignored by so many that morning.
Lingasen Reddy, Mufasa’s owner, shares...
It was an ordinary day in October 2024 and Mufasa was his usual playful self. He seemed happy and full of energy.
However, later that evening everything changed. Mufasa had left the premises with Simba. The next morning we realised both dogs had left the premises, and later that afternoon Simba arrived home alone. Panic set in as I realised he was truly missing. I searched through the area calling out for him and looking high and low. Search teams were set up between the beach and farm areas.
As the hours turned into days, I remained determined to find him. I put up flyers in the neighbourhood, shared posts on social media and offered a reward, and reached out to local shelters and rescue organisations. Friends and family rallied around me, offering support and joining in the search. Their kindness gave me hope during this stressful time. A few days later he was spotted around the airport area close to Whetstone garage and on the R102.
Each day brought a mix of emotions – hope when I received a potential sighting, and despair when nothing happened (sightings and people that assisted with leads). Through my heartaches with Mufasa's absence, I continued to search and remained optimistic that Mufasa would return home. He’s more than just a pet, he’s part of my family. I held onto memories of our time together and the joy he brought into my life.
I received a call from a gentleman who’d spotted Mufasa in the Whetstone area. There was too much traffic for him to stop and he informed me that he’d check later in the area. Friends and family from Facebook contacted me via WhatsApp informing me that Mufasa was spotted in the area. I received a call from Lauren who’d informed me that she’d found a dog and taken him to the SPCA.
On Wednesday afternoon, the 16th of April 2025, I received a call from the SPCA to inform me that they’d found Mufasa. They kept him overnight for observation as the vet checked up on him. On Thursday, the 17th of April, I was on my way to pick up Mufasa and arranged to meet with Lauren and Mia for the reunion of my baby boy.
I want to take a moment to sincerely thank everyone, from friends, family, the public, rescue centres, the SPCA, Lauren and Mia, for finding my dog and bringing him back home. Your kindness and quick action made such a difference during a very stressful time for my family. It truly means a lot to us to know there are people like you in our community who look out for others. We’re so grateful for your help and generosity.
