Hunt on for police search dog that has gone missing

The hunt is on for missing three-year-old police search dog Thames, who is lost in the Tararua Ranges in Wairarapa, New Zealand.

Police are urging ramblers, outdoor enthusiasts and local farmers to keep their eyes open for Thames who was separated from his handler in the Mt Holdsworth area near Carterton on Sunday afternoon. Thames is a sable coloured German Shepherd who went missing in the Totara Creek-Red Creek area.



He was walking out with his handler and other Wairarapa Search and Rescue squad members and civilian volunteers at the end of an annual day-long training exercise. After failing to find the dog using voice calls and searching the main tracks, squad members have decided to stay in the bush overnight.

Police hope Thames, who is more used to tracking and finding people rather than being the subject of a search, is making his way down the mountain and is following stream beds to safety. Local farmers and others living near the Mt Holdsworth access roads have also been asked to keep an eye out for him.