When Liam and Kellylouise’s beloved Chihuahua, Penny, disappeared during a walk in the woods near their home, their hearts broke. The couple had been out enjoying a peaceful day when a passing cyclist startled Penny, causing her to bolt into the dense forest.
Devastated and desperate to find her, they searched everywhere but couldn’t spot any trace of their tiny dog. Determined not to give up, they contacted missing dog expert Mandy Butler from The Lost Dog Trapping Team. Butler advised that Penny might return to the area where she had originally gone missing, and suggested they focus their efforts there.
Taking the advice to heart, Liam and Kellylouise decided to camp out in the woods, hoping Penny would return on her own. Butler explained that keeping their scent concentrated in one area could help Penny find her way back, rather than spreading it too thin and confusing her.
But the couple knew they needed something special to lure her out of hiding, especially after Penny’s terrifying encounter with the cyclist. So, they came up with a creative idea: they’d cook her favorite food, sausages, to draw her in.
For five long nights, they camped in the woods, grilling sausages and filling the air with the delicious, familiar scent. But with each passing day, hope began to wane—Penny was nowhere to be found. Eventually, they decided to broaden their search, exploring different areas of the town.
To their astonishment, they finally spotted Penny sitting alone in a field. But as soon as Liam approached, the frightened dog bolted, still too scared to come near. Days went by as they continued working with the trapping team, but Penny remained elusive, even evading one of the traps they had set for her.
"I was feeling so hopeless,” Kellylouise admitted.
Then, on what would have been Penny’s birthday, they received a phone call that changed everything. A family had heard scratching at their door and opened it to find Penny, who had likely confused their house for her own—it looked almost identical.
Liam and Kellylouise were overjoyed to have their furry family member back. As a tribute to Penny’s safe return, Liam, who owns a tattoo supply company, got a special tattoo of Penny surrounded by sausages to celebrate the sweet and quirky way they had tried to bring her home.
"It felt like Christmas," Kellylouise said, describing the relief and excitement that washed over them. "I couldn’t sleep, I was so happy."
To mark Penny’s homecoming, the couple cooked up a batch of sausages just for her. Penny was so overjoyed that she got the zoomies, racing around in excitement.
"It was adorable," Kellylouise laughed. "It was like she was saying, ‘Finally, I got my sausage!’"
Penny’s incredible journey ended with a warm meal and the love of her family, just as it was meant to.
