She’ll Be Coming Down The Mountain

Neesha’s happy to be going home…

ell, as everyone knows, here at GG HQ, we’re suckers for dogs…

And we’re also pretty partial to a happy ending or two, as it happens.

Throw the two of them together, and suddenly, this miserable Monday suddenly has some welcome feelgood.

The dog in question is Neesha, a mountain hike-loving, shoulder-hugging golden retriever who has just been, hey, retrieved from a snow-covered Lugnaquilla – after having gone missing on January 23rd.

A whole two weeks ago.

It was hiking buddies Jean Francois Bonnet and Ciara Nolan who spotted Neesha up on the Wicklow mountain last Saturday, a little worse for wear and cold weather.

Carrying the frail Neesha back down to their car, Jean and Ciara headed to Ash Animal Rescue and, soon after, owner Erina O’Shea Goetelen got one of the happiest phone calls of her life.

“Unbelievable, after two weeks from the day she went missing,” is how Erina describes her beloved family pet’s return. “She’s been checked by the vet and has no major injuries, so, Neesha will recover with loads of TLC…”

Reunited not only with the O’Shea Goetelen family but her adopted sister, Holly, 3-year-old cross German Shepherd, this isn’t the first time Neesha has been carried around Lugnaquilla. The mountain is a popular hike for the entire family, as the picture above proves.

Erina not only wants to give thanks and praise to Jean and Ciara but also to the efforts over the past fortnight by many others – “including David and his drone” – to locate Neesha.

“It’s been incredible to witness the support out there,” finishes Erina. “And having Neesha home now, in truth, we really have no words…”