A black Labrador called Astra slipped away from a dog walker near Palewell Park on Tuesday evening. By the end of Wednesday, the search for her had drawn in a large part of south-west London.
What began as a handful of neighbours combing the overgrown corner of Palewell grew, through the day, into something much larger. Dozens of volunteers walked slow, silent lines through the woodland and waded the length of Beverley Brook. A thermal-imaging drone searched the canopy and the streets around the park from above.
When that ruled out Palewell itself, the search widened, and kept widening: across Richmond Park, where Astra usually walks, and then out across Wimbledon Common, Barnes Common, the Thames path on both banks, and the roads and gardens in between. Posters went up in shop windows in Barnes; dog walkers were briefed on both sides of the river; a co-ordinating group passed 250 people.
Most of those who turned out had never met her.
There was one possible sighting of an unaccompanied black Labrador at the top of the park in the late morning, but it was never confirmed, and there were no further confirmed sightings during the day. By nightfall, Astra had not been found.
The search was stood down for the night and is due to resume on Thursday morning, when a specialist tracking dog is expected to join. Those leading the search have asked people to stay calm and quiet rather than search in large, noisy groups, as a frightened dog is far more likely to come out when the area around her is still.
If you see her
Astra is a black Labrador with unusually pale, amber eyes. She may be wearing a red collar, but it can come off if it snags, so a black Labrador with no collar should not be ruled out. She is microchipped and local vets have been alerted. If you see her, do not approach, chase or call out to her — a frightened dog tends to go to ground.
It is also worth checking gardens, sheds and garages, where a nervous dog may have tucked herself away.
