Homesick And Loyal Sheepdog Travels 240 Miles In 12 Days To Be Reunited with Original Owner

A dog’s loyalty knows no bounds. Hardship cannot break it, time can not weaken it, and distance can not destroy it. Take for example the tale of one loyal sheepdog who “escaped” his new home and travelled 240 miles to be reunited with his former owner.

If it sounds incredible, that’s because it is.

Pero is a lovable black and white collie and, like most collies, possesses the sort of fierce and formidable intelligence and stubborn but kind-hearted nature which makes them such a popular dog breed. Especially with farmers, who for time out of mind have used them as sheepdogs.

Pero belonged to a farmer called Alan James, and for the first four years of his life the happy hound lived a contented existence on a farm in the sleepy village of Penrhyncoch, Wales.

Yet Pero was one of many dogs owned by Mr. James, and when a friend said he knew a farmer in Cockermouth, Cumbria, who was looking for a dog that could round sheep and follow a quad bike, little Pero was the first hound that sprung to farmer James’ mind.

Bidding Pero a fond farewell, Mr. James sent the sheepdog off to pastures new earlier this year.

“We thought Pero would be ideal for the job. We let him go on a trial at the beginning of March.”

Obviously, Pero wasn’t happy with his new home, and the Daily Mail reports that, one month later (April 8), Mr James received a call to say Pero had gone missing from his new farm while herding sheep.

Thinking that Pero had simply disappeared and he’d never see him again, farmer James went out Last Wednesday evening to check on the animals after supper.

And who should be sitting on his doorstep when he opened the door that fateful evening? None other than the homesick herder who had somehow miraculously navigated his way home through 240 miles of harsh terrain in 12 days just to be reunited with his beloved owner.

To put it lightly, Mr James, 54, was overwhelmed.

“It was amazing but we have no idea how Pero did it. He must have a Sat-Nav in his brain.

“A sheepdog can go all day and cover a lot of ground. But it is a mystery how he found his way here. We don’t know how he was fed or if he hitched a lift. But it was incredible when he turned up on a doorstep.

“He was very excited to be back both with the family and the other dogs.”

Obviously you’d have to possess a heart of stone to have sent Pero back to Cumbria after his epic journey of heart and will, and both Alan and his wife Shan, 47, were so moved by their collie’s loyalty they decided to welcome him home for good.

Mrs. James explained she’s still baffled how Pero made the trip and would love to know more about her dog’s adventures on his homeward bound journey, and she believes that because he was still so fit and healthy looking, he must have managed to have found regular food on his adventures.

“It was a bit of a shock, and the dog was going crazy after seeing Alan. It’s a total mystery as to how Pero has managed to find his way back to us. We know that dogs can find their way home, but 240 miles is a long way to travel.”

“When he came back, he wasn’t hungry or weak, so he must have managed to find food somewhere. He must have stopped in places along the way.

“We would love to know if anyone along the route saw a mystery black and white sheepdog. It is an amazing adventure – and we are very happy to have him home with us on the farm.”

(Photo by Christopher Furlong/Getty Images)