The searcher became the searched for earlier this week when a dog went missing during a training exercise.
Juno, a German Shorthaired Pointer, is part of the team at Norfolk Lowland Search and Rescue where she helps sniff out missing people.
But after she went into a reed bed and didn’t return on December 21, her handlers had to start looking for her instead.
She has now been found safe and well after being missing for almost a week in a wooded area outside Norwich.
A drone team spotted her yesterday morning on a small island close to where she was last seen in Fritton Wood, near St Olaves on the Norfolk Broads.
It comes after a large-scale search and social media appeal, with 65 searchers and 20 support members from a number of teams lending their services, including personnel from Kent, Buckinghamshire and Cambridgeshire.
After quickly being reunited with her handler and team, Juno was taken to a vet to be checked over.
Her owner, RAF engineer Ian Danks, told ITV he and his family had spent over 55 hours searching for their pet, who was has helped find several missing people since she qualified as a rescue dog in 2019.
‘She’s not just any dog, she’s our family dog,’ he said.
‘I’ve got a young family and she’s one of us. She’s my best friend.’
Norfolk Lowland Search and Rescue said in a statement on Facebook: ‘We are pleased to announce that she is in great spirits and has been checked over.
‘Her paws are slightly sore but she is now on her way back home.
‘We would like to thank all those who shared the post, over 7,500 shares and (it) reached over 500,000 people.’
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