Wee want our dog back: Family squirt trails of their own urine around town to lure home missing pet

A family have thought of a novel way to find their dog by trying to lure him home with their urine.

Louise and Jonathan Baltesz are squirting their own smells over trees and lampposts in the hope Simon will smell it and follow the trial home.



Mr Baltesz, 44, an Interior designer, admitted they would do 'anything' to get their beloved black Labrador back.

Louise Baltesz leaves a urine trail for her missing dog, Simon, after experts said it could lure him home

The desperate couple consulted a canine behavioural expert who advised them to 'mark' neighbouring territory with their own wee.

The pair and their children Henry, 15, and Clara, 13, have begun filling bottles with their diluted urine before sprinkling it in the streets to lay a trail back home.

And Incredibly, a small army of friends and volunteers have helped them spread the scent around the upmarket suburbs of Redland, Clifton and Cotham in Bristol.

Teacher Louise, 43, said: 'He's been a little bit of a rogue just lately and we think the reason he's gone missing is that he's started to get greedy around bins and picnics and barbecues.

'The whole family is really worried about him and it might seem bizarre and a bit embarrassing but we've started laying a scent trail on lampposts and trees.

'That's worked for other people in the past we are so desperate to find Simon that we are willing to try anything to help him come back home.

Naughty pup Simon, a rescue dog, has gone wandering around Bristol and his owners are desperate to get him back

'We have laid out a map of our local area and marked every sighting of him on it. Then we lay a scent trail back home from each point.

'Our urine is diluted because dogs have an incredibly powerful sense of smell but he hasn't come back yet and we miss him so much.'

The Baltesz family have had Simon, who went missing on Saturday, since 2001 when he was rehomed with them after being abused as a puppy.

The dog, who has never gone missing before and is microchipped, has been spotted in the Clifton, Cotham and Henleaze areas of Bristol.

Mrs Baltesz, who has two other pet dogs, reported the sightings to missing pet website www.doglost.co.uk who suggested using their urine to help him find his way home.

Louise, added: 'The house is so quiet without him. He's a bit of a special dog because he was a rescue animal and it took us ages to rehabilitate him.

'He's unusual for a Labrador because most are friendly and approachable but he was so badly treated he doesn't trust anyone except us. We are really attached to him.'

Jane Hayes, founder of www.doglost.co.uk, today recommended mixing water and urine in equal parts to create the perfect scent trail.

She said: 'A dog's sense of smell is 3,000 times more potent than ours and where we recognise each other visually they do it by smell.

'That's why when dogs meet one another they start by smelling behinds and even though we aren't aware of it they recognise humans in the same way.

'Even though people are often shocked when they first hear about it laying a urine trail really works because if a dog is lost they rely on their nose to get home.

'As soon as Simon picks up the smell of his owner's scent he will know he is not far away from home.'

A spokesman for Avon and Somerset police today revealed they have not yet received any complaints about the unusual search for Simon.

'Urinating in the street is obviously an offence but a major part of that is the whole act of exposing yourself in public - it's not just the spraying of urine.'