The village of Wherwell has banded together to help find a “devastated” couple’s lost dog.

Lindesay Rudd-Clarke, 85, was walking his dogs Cleo and Zara along the Test Way on New Barn lane at 9:15 on Wednesday September 16 when he heard a pheasant. Cleo and Zara both took off, so Lindesay whistled for them to come back. “Zara came back immediately,” he told the Advertiser, “but Cleo hasn’t been seen since.”

Lindesay and his wife Jeanne, 66, are self-confessed “absolute dog lovers,” with Lindesay having owned dogs for most of his life, and “certainly since [he] was married.”

They have owned Cleo for four years, since she was a puppy, and Zara for three, with Lindesay saying that Zara was also missing Cleo, and it was “difficult to get her to go out for a walk now.”

“The dogs are almost joined at the hip,” he added.

Upon hearing the news, the village came together to help find Cleo. This has involved villagers heading out day and night to continue the search, while parish council chair Sean Hutton has been “looking early in the morning in Harewood Forest” for her.

Though Wherwell may be over 1000 years old, the search has also taken on some very modern aspects, with three drones used to conduct the search from the air. To aid this, villagers have been cutting back the undergrowth to allow the drones a better view of the area.

Eight days on, the search is still continuing. “We’re a bit desperate after such a long time,” said Lindesay. “It’s a long time for a little dog to be running around.”

However, there is still hope, with news of a possible sighting at Picket Twenty coming in this afternoon (September 24). “Fingers crossed,” said Lindesay.

Cleo is a blue roan cocker spaniel described as “small for her breed” and “very active and healthy.”

They have asked anyone who may have seen Cleo to contact him on 01264 861410, or 07710 802510. A “substantial reward” is being offered for her safe return.