The Big Dog Dig

Ziggy’s chase instinct got him stuck fast in a pipe!

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It was 29 May this year, and we’d had been a fun family night out.

My hubby Tim, 39, and I had taken our kids Ollie, 10, Dan, 9, Will, 6, and Ted, 1, to Scarborough to treat ourselves to some fish and chips by the seaside.

We were on our way home at 9pm, when I got a call from my father-in-law, who lived on our family farm.

‘Bad news,’ he said. ‘Ziggy’s disappeared down a pipe and we can’t get him out!’

Tim’s parents had decided to take the dogs – our 10-year-old Patterdale terrier Ziggy and their two Airedales – out for a walk while we were at the beach.

Following his nose, Ziggy had disappeared down a drainpipe at the edge of our field.

The Airedales tried to follow him, but were too big to fit into the 9in gap.

‘Don’t worry,’ I said to him. ‘I’m sure he’ll be fine.’

Patterdale terriers are known for their strong chase instinct, and Ziggy had run off following a scent before. He always came back.