Two beloved pet dogs that vanished while they were out for a walk in the hills are safe at home thanks to the smell of grilled sausages.
Miniature schnauzers Charlie and Theo were missing for four days after disappearing in thick fog on the Red Pike fell near Buttermere, Cumbria.
Distraught owners Liz and Graham Hampson launched a rescue campaign and sought help from mountain rescue teams, family and friends.
There was no sign of the dogs as more than 120 people and two drones scoured the hills, so Liz and Graham decided to try to lure them with their favourite bangers.
They set up a barbecue near the spot where Charlie and Theo, who are father and son, vanished and shouted the dogs’ names.
To their amazement, a short time later the dogs appeared through the trees, leading to an emotional reunion.
Liz, 49, from nearby Cockermouth, said: “When they first appeared it was like a mirage. I could not believe it was them.
“My husband ran up the hill to grab them as I was just shaking and crying. I could not function.
“The dogs are just gorgeous, and they are part of our family. It would be horrible not to have them around.
“They absolutely love sausages. They have them every Sunday for breakfast, so if there was one food they were going to come back for, it was sausages.”
Liz and Graham’s son John was walking Charlie, aged seven, and Theo, aged 15 months, on top Red Pike fell on June 16.
The weather turned at lunchtime and a thick mist rolled in, causing the 21-year-old to lose sight of the dogs.
He rang his mum straight away to let her know what had happened, and they immediately started to form a rescue party.
Liz said: “I was beside myself when John called. The dogs walk off lead when there is no livestock around and are used to being on the fells.
“It was a horrible phone call. We called our family and messaged friends and put out an appeal for people to look out for them on Facebook and Twitter.
“I also have a few friends who are part of mountain rescue groups so I asked if they could keep their eyes peeled if they were called out to a rescue.”
Liz and Graham spent the first night camping on the fell and calling the dogs’ names trying to get them to come back.
They then spent the next few days over Father’s Day weekend hiking all around the area in hot weather trying to find them.
On the morning of June 19, Mark Steel, a GP and member of Cockermouth Mountain Rescue Team, said the dogs were likely on the other side of the fell, near Gillerthwaite.
Together they hatched a plan to get the dogs back, and started barbecuing sausages.
Liz said: “It was great to see them appear through the trees.”
“They were thin, and they smelled, but thankfully they’d kept themselves hydrated in the heat.
“We took them to the vets the next day and they were given a clean bill of health.”
She added: “My son is in the navy and we rang him first to tell him. A huge cheer went up on his ship.
“Charlie and Theo are actually dad and son so we’re now joking they had a Father’s Day weekend.
“And they’ve told us nothing about what happened. I guess what goes on tour, stays on tour.”
13 Celebrities That Seem to Have Discovered the Secret of Youth
There must be something rejuvenating in that Hollywood water! That’s a thought we all have in our heads from time to time when looking at pictures of forever fresh stars that seem to not have understood the concept of time. While we count how many new grey hairs grew this month, these celebrities keep on shocking us with the inconsistency of their age and their appearance.
Here at Bright Side, we love following celebrities, especially if it seems like they know the secrets of staying young and fresh forever. There’s definitely something we need to learn from them.
1. Eve, 1992 vs 2019
Eve started her career at a young age and has over 20 years of being under the spotlight. Now she’s 42, and it looks like years haven’t left any marks on her.
2. Gabrielle Union, 2009 vs 2021
The Bring It On and Being Mary Jane star shared that at 48 she has a few rules that boost her glow. She drinks enough water, makes sure she gets at least 8 hours of sleep, and exercises.
3. Queen Latifah, 1987 vs 2020
The Oscar-nominated, Grammy- and Emmy-winning singer and actress turned 51 on March 18. Queen shares that she does eat a lot of vegetables and lean meats, hydrates religiously and thinks that as long as you’re young at heart, your actual age doesn’t really matter.
4. Alicia Silverstone, 1992 vs 2020
The Clueless star, who is 44 years old, says that her diet is the secret to her youth — Alicia is vegan and leads an eco-friendly lifestyle. She shares that once she gave up meat and dairy, she started looking better after just 2 weeks.
5. Jeremy Piven, 2005 vs 2021
The famous American actor and comedian shared that he lifts weights, jumps rope, and does jiujitsu. He also said in an interview that he has been doing yoga for decades and goes for a run when he wakes up.
6. Alfre Woodard, 1995 vs 2020
Alfre Woodard is now 68 years old, but looking at her pictures from the past, it feels like she just changes outfits and hairstyles, but doesn’t age at all.
7. Jamie Foxx, 2004 vs 2021
There is always a question when it comes to Jamie Foxx — how does he still look as young as he did in the 2000s? Back then, when he was 33, he had his own series, The Jamie Foxx Show. Today, he’s 53 and still a popular actor that seems to have found the fountain of youth.
8. Sharon Stone, 2002 vs 2021
The 63-year-old actress shares that her secret of youth is something she took from her mom — she shares that she gave her a jar of moisturizer and told her to clean her skin and moisturize morning and night, and that’s what she does.
9. Bianca Lawson, 1991 vs 2019
Bianca Lawson has played teenagers on-screen since 1993 and it’s really no surprise why. The Buffy The Vampire Slayer and Pretty Little Liars star is 42, but you can’t tell since her glowing skin looks like it’s ageless. Bianca shares that she prefers natural sweeteners to sugar and tea to coffee and believes that youth is a mentality, so to stay young you have to reduce stress and enjoy life.
10. Alicia Keys, 1997 vs 2021
The 40-year-old singer not only looks young and fresh, but she also manages to look younger than her years without wearing heavy makeup — she advocates for embracing natural beauty and actually has incredible skin. Her routine includes jade rolling, oils, and cucumber pulp.
11. Elizabeth Hurley, 2001 vs 2021
Today the British model is 54 years old, but in her latest Instagram posts, she legitimately looks like a girl in her 20s. And though it looks effortless, she does put a lot of effort into it. Her methods are hydration, a balanced diet, and workouts. For example, Elizabeth does squats while brushing her teeth and considers gardening her main form of exercise.
12. Helena Christensen, 1998 vs 2020
It’s hard to believe, but the famous supermodel turns 52 this year, showing her flawless body on her Instagram account. Helena shared that in Denmark, where she’s from, people are taught to not hide anything when it comes to what nature gave them.
13. Janet Jackson, 1998 vs 2020
The music legend turned 55 in May and it seems like 20 years have left no marks on her face. Jackson doesn’t really share her secrets to staying young, though she mentioned that she has a mostly plant-based diet, doesn’t eat meat, and that she has a long-term relationship with fitness.
What’s your secret to staying youthful? We’d be happy to see your comments in the section below.
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Preview photo credit John Mathew Smith / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0, janetjackson / instagram
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