SEARCHES are continuing in north Belfast last night for a pet dog belonging to a family on holiday from Scotland.
The 11-month-old brown spaniel dog, named Coco, disappeared during a walk on Cave Hill at around 4pm yesterday after she became frightened by another dog.
Her owners, who live in Scotland, are currently visiting family in Northern Ireland for the Christmas holidays.
In a post on social media, a relative of the owners appealed for people to help track her down.
"She got frightened by another dog and ran off," she wrote.
"She hasn't been seen since...she has a green collar with all her details on it."
Lost Paws NI, a support group that helps search for missing animals, also said that a data camera and thermal drone have been used in searches.
It also said they had been "inundated with appeals from people all over the country looking to come and search for Coco".
"We have spoken to an eyewitness who was one of the last persons to see Coco, and she feels it’s possible that she could have descended down through the thick brushland towards the castle path," the post said.
"We have sectioned this general area into zones, please be advised this is a VERY rough guide as to where we’d like some extra traffic. This area is extremely thick, so our drone will not be able to penetrate through as effectively.
"Please ensure that you wear appropriate clothing, be aware of any dangers such as drops/swampy areas etc. if you’re venturing into an area you don’t know, please ensure you’re sharing your location with someone back home."
