Delight as Wiz of Wisbech the stray who captured the hearts of social media followers is finally safe

Fenland and in particular the Wisbech area is a black spot for dumped dogs according to an animal rescue organisation that has spent over a month working to capture a stray in the town.

Dai Evans of Canine Capture UK blames the prevalence of hare coursing in the area for the number of strays roaming the Fenland countryside and said the not for profit organisation, which is based in North Wales, is desperate to get the "do not chase" message across to the public.

"It is unfortunately a black spot of dumped dogs. It is a blight on this beautiful area, and is sadly an integral part of some of the dog owners who frequent the countryside - hare coursers are notorious for leaving their dogs behind," said Dai.

He was speaking just days after a stray known as Wiz of Wisbech was finally caught after nearly six weeks of patient work.

Wiz captured the imagination of the local population with people heeding the group's advice to report sightings of the lurcher-type dog rather than trying to catch him.

The response when news of his capture was reported on Facebook on Wednesday was enormous with well-wishers hoping the seriously under-weight dog makes a quick recovery and is either reunited with his owners, if he is an escapee, or rehomed if he has been dumped.

Dai said it is difficult to say what breed Wiz is but he has an appearance of an Afghan Hound, although he may well have been shaved before either escaping or being dumped.

He is currently being cared for at a private kennels and Dai said he is still very nervous, although he is eating well.

Wiz first came to the public's attention when he was spotted on December 11 running along the busy A47. Photos of him clearly underweight and running started to appear on social media and it was at that point that both CCUK and Fenland's dog warden Caroline Trigg, who also runs Ravenswood Pet Rescue got involved with trying to catch him.

Dai said: "We communicated our standard 'do not chase' protocol to the public and asked them to report sightings. There were many people concerned about his welfare and we started to formulate a plan."

However, there was some confusion when there was another sighting of a dog near Walpole Bank and Mill Road, cctv cameras set up identified this was not Wiz and the rescuers realised there were two lurcher-type dogs on the loose, bringing double the worry one or both might be involved in a car accident.

The second dog, which turned out to be a Saluki, was captured using a trap set by Caroline just before Christmas.

On December 17 images appeared of Wiz on the run through rush hour traffic in Wisbech and brought no less than 63 calls to CCUK in 140 minutes.

Dai said: "Every sighting was a point for point spot of his movement south and not one person engaged with the dog. Proving our ‘do not chase’ mantra to be the safest defence from a potential RTA."

After that Wiz disappeared from public scrutiny and was not seen again until 11pm on Christmas Eve, when he was spotted by a dog lover working at the Shell garage in Wisbech. Wiz had been captured on CCTV pulling rubbish bags from the bin and Dai said that gave them the lead they needed to identify his regular route, which took him most nights via Sparrowgate Road, Walsoken.

A camera was set up to monitor his movements, food drops were consistent and finally using Caroline's trapping skills became an option.

Dai said: "Caroline's help was essential as CCUK's resources were at breaking point over the Christmas and New Year period. Then finally the news we had all been waiting for Wiz had been captured on the evening of January 7. He had spent his last Christmas alone and this is a testament to the goodwill of the people of Wisbech and Walpole. He is no longer an unloved stray and will also be known as the Wiz of Wisbech forever.

"Dai said there will no doubt be lots of people willing to give Wiz a home once he is ready, and his new owners will be carefully chosen to ensure he has a happy and safe future."

CCUK relies on donations to keep doing its vital rescue work. Donations can be made via paypal.me/caninecapture UK

For more details on CCUK visit their Facebook page.