Dog from Wardle leaves home and boards a train to Manchester

Cruz

Cruz, a family dog from Wardle, managed to leave his home and board a train to Manchester on Tuesday 18 February.

Cruz, opened the patio doors and made his way to Smithy Bridge train station and boarded a train to Manchester.

His owner, Pamela Kay-Howarth, said: “We noticed that morning that he was missing. My eldest son came downstairs and noticed that the patio doors were open and then realised Cruz was gone but his brother was still in the house.”

Family members then began a search for Cruz but never imagined what he would actually get up to.

The family used to live close to Smithy Bridge Station and Pamela regularly used to take Cruz on the train. She said: “He has been on the train to Litteborough before but I have never taken him to Manchester. I have no idea what was going through his head. Maybe he fancied a change and wanted to go the other way.”

Once he arrived at Manchester Victoria, Cruz was taken care of by the station staff before being cared for by the dog warden.

A family friend then noticed Cruz on the lunch time news and contacted Pamela to say he was on the news. Pamela added: “My friend phoned me and said that Cruz was on the news. I instantly thought it was bad because there would be no other reason for a missing dog to be on the news, but then he said he was ok and that he had been on the train.”

Not hearing the full news story, the family friend then decided to head to local stations to look for Cruz and checked Smithy Bridge Station and Littleborough station but had no luck.

“After my friend told me he wasn’t at Smithy Bridge or Littleborough I contacted the BBC and found out where he was. They were really good with me and kept in touch with me all day until I could get there to collect him,” said Pamela.

Pamela was then reunited with Cruz at the BBC studios in Media City. “It wasn’t an emotional reunion because he isn’t like that but he is home now safe and sound,” said Pamela.