Wrexham: Missing dog takes 100-mile round-trip in taxi

A dog was taken on a 100-mile (161km) round trip to Manchester airport after getting lost on its morning walk.

Three-year-old Ralph ran off at a popular dog walking spot in Wrexham at 05:00 GMT on Monday morning while his owner chatted with another dog owner.

Uncharacteristically, he didn't come back, prompting a three-hour search of woodland at Gresford Quarry.

"It turned out that he'd left the quarry and gone back to the road in the direction of home," said his owner.

"A taxi had pulled up to pick up a family who were heading on their holidays. It was cold, and Ralph just jumped in to the cab," said Georgia Crewe.

Because he didn't have any identification visible on his collar, the driver could not contact anyone.

But because cavapoo Ralph was clearly by himself, he did not want to leave him by the roadside. So, he decided to take him along for the ride and try to find his owners later.

After the airport drop, Ralph paid a visit to Mold, Flintshire, where the driver lives.

Both Georgia and a friend of the taxi driver posted news of Ralph's disappearance on social media and Ralph was back home by 10:00 on Monday.

Georgia said it was a relief to know he was OK.

"He's my baby," she said. "He's super intelligent and it's really uncharacteristic for him to disappear."

His collar is soon to be adorned with a geolocating tag, a flashing light and an identity disc so he is more easily found if he goes on any further adventures, she said.

Ralph appeared no worse off for his big morning out, she added.

"He got back home, had a big breakfast and has slept most of the day."