MEET Cathy the adorable pup rescued thanks to Facebook.
The two-year-old border collie was saved after a massive search sparked by users of a buy and swap page on the social networking site.
After responding to a post about a missing dog in Coedpoeth, Vicky Heyward, an accident and emergency staff nurse at Wrexham’s Maelor Hospital, took action.
“The dog was left on its own and we believe the owner had died. I felt compelled to help. I felt so sorry for the dog after I realised the owner would not be out looking for her.”
Miss Heyward, 29, of Coedpoeth, along with other site users took to the streets searching for the dog in Coedpoeth, Southsea and Brynteg.
She said: “They were all people who met through Facebook. I went out seven times. We heard it had been seen in lots of different places.
“There were hundreds of posts to say the dog was missing.”
Posts on the site said the dog had been seen in Brynteg and after a three-hour search, Cathy was found under a caravan near a house where she had been seen.
Dave Conner, 28, Miss Heyward’s finance, said: “People tried to catch her but to no avail.
“Vicky was determined the dog would suffer no longer and began driving around looking for her, people were organising groups to go out and search for her.
“We searched high and low until we found her.
“I stayed beside Cathy for a short while to give her confidence and was then able to put a lead around her and walk her back to the car. There are hundreds of comments on the site, Cathy is famous.”
Animal lover Miss Heyward, who has two labradors Jake and Molly and four cats, had to give Cathy up to her mum Susan Heyward of Rhos.
“My mum is over the moon,” she said. “She has spoilt her rotten and Cassie has been given a new collar and a new bed.
“Cathy was quite thin when we found her and was unkempt. She had been wandering the streets for a week.
“We took her to the vet and she had an infection in her eyes. She is a beautiful dog.”
The RSPCA and local dog wardens have been told about Cathy’s amazing rescue but no one has come forward to claim her.
“It’s nice that people have gotten together through Facebook for this,” said Vicky. I would like to thank all the other people who had been out looking for her.”