Dedicated team of volunteers search for missing rescue dog Freddie in Portsmouth

The team of helpers outside the Mountbatten Centre, Portsmouth, ready to search

About 30 people gathered at the Mountbatten Centre in Portsmouth today to search for the brown and white Corgi-cross pup, who was rescued from a kill shelter, after he disappeared on Easter Monday.

Emily Woolger and Sean Restall, who live in Hampshire Street, Buckland, were set to foster Freddie until a permanent home for him was found – but think he escaped from their home’s cat flap.

Emily, 51, said: ‘This past week or so has been an emotional roller coaster.

‘As soon as we hear of a sighting we go straight out, we just want to find him.

‘We’ve searched every single day.

‘We had a possible sighting by the Blue Lagoon at Hilsea so we all went out round there.

‘But he was seen running towards the Mountbatten Centre on the night he went missing, so that’s why we’re searching here still.

‘But the shoreline runs from the centre down to Hilsea, so he could be anywhere there, but we can’t get on to the shoreline because of building works.

‘We’ve had lots of help every evening, it’s been amazing, and the turnout today is great.

‘We’re not 100 per cent sure how he escaped, but we think he got out the cat flap.

‘It’s possible he had an argument with one of my cats, got spooked, and ran out the house.’

After appealing online for help Emily and her fiancé Sean have been amazed by the level of support received, with almost 500 people joining their ‘Help us find Freddie’ Facebook page.

The search party have had posters made to distribute across the area, with information about Freddie on.

He went missing between 11.30pm on Easter Monday and 5am the next day, and is believed to be about two-years-old.

Marcine Fowler, from Love4Dogs Rescue based in Poole, brought Freddie over from Romania. She said at the search: ‘We have to find him. We’re not going to give up.

‘We didn’t save him from a kill shelter to bring him here and lose him.

‘I’ve got a thermal tracking camera which we’re going to use to help us.’

The group had no luck today but are set to continue searching.

Sarah Baldwin, 52, is part of the search party. She started collecting funds to help the group find Freddie.

She said: ‘I started collecting donations to try and fund bringing in Hampshire Search and Rescue and for other things we need, like posters.

‘So far I’ve raised £200. If people want to donate, I’m collecting the money through PayPal, they can visit the Help us Find Freddie Facebook page for details of how to help.’