Metro workers praised for rescuing a lost dog which ran on the track

Louis Meach and Alan Hudson, who are both operations managers on the Tyne and Wear Metro, rescued Bobby the Rhodesian Ridgeback on June 19, getting him safely off the lines by enticing him with some chicken.

They said that the rescue was all in a day’s work, but the Bobby’s relieved owner has personally thanked them both for their efforts.

Bobby had escaped from the home of a dog sitter in Gosforth, near Newcastle.

His owner, Barry Churchill, was left frantically searching for him.

Barry, 47, of Choppington, who has had three and a half year-old Bobby since he was a puppy, had just arrived at work at around 9am, when he learned that his beloved pooch had escaped.

He was spotted on the loose on the Armstrong Bridge and in Jesmond Dene, before ending up on the Metro tracks between South Gosforth and Ilford Road – an area where services are most frequent.

A customer then recognised him from an appeal Barry had put on Facebook and alerted the staff.

Louis and Alan went on to the tracks while trains in the were cautioned to lower speeds. Once they had Bobby back on his lead they walked him back to safety and he was re-united with Barry.

Louis, 33, of Gateshead, has been a Metro Ops Manager for five years.

He said: “I was at South Gosforth station when a customer said there was a dog on the line. I looked around and I saw him running down the track.

“We reacted quickly. We got on the next train, and the driver was able to proceed at caution. We then got out on the lines to look for Bobby on foot. We found him near an access gate and enticed him with the food. Alan managed to get him on the lead, and we took him off the line quickly after that.

“It was a relief as it could have been a lot worse. There was a real risk he could have been struck by a train. He’s a lovely dog. He was pleased to see us.

“It was satisfying to know we had rescued him. It was all in a day’s work. As operations managers we are trained to go on to Metro lines to deal with incidents like this.

“Barry was thrilled to see him. It is lovely that he came back to thank us in person.

“We should also thank our own colleague, whose chicken we took from his packed lunch to entice the dog.”

Alan, 63, of Jarrow, added: “I’m just so pleased we were able to get the dog back safely and unharmed. The owner was a relieved man, He Was close to tears.

“If any does lose a dog on the Metro line please remember to always contact a member of our staff. Never attempt to go on the Metro lines yourself to get a dog back.”

Barry said: “I cannot thank the Metro staff enough for their efforts. I was frantic that day. It was a real ordeal.

“Alan and Louis have done a fantastic job. I’m enormously grateful. It could have turned out much worse.

“I’ve been keen to meet up with them, just to say a personal thank you. They were amazing and they are a credit to their employer.”

He added: “Bobby had barely been at the dog sitter’s half an hour when I got a call at work that he had got out of the house and ran away. I had to do my best to control my emotions, and I went to Facebook so that I could try and get help from people on there.

“People were sharing it around and I saw posts from people saying that they had seen a lost dog around the Jesmond Dene area, including a photo, so I knew that it was Bobby. I just felt like I didn’t know what to do, and I was so worried about Bobby and how he was doing. There was this huge wave of relief when I got him back.”