Cwmbran: Hunt for blind dog with dementia swept away by river

The hunt is on for a blind dog with dementia that vanished into a fast flowing river.

15-year-old Zeus slipped his lead while out on a walk near a swollen section of the Afon Lwyd in Cwmbran on 8 April.

His owner Jade Williams said she has been inundated with offers of help since posting about the incident.

“I realise he’s probably no longer alive, but I just want to bring my poor boy home,” she added.

The 40-year-old nurse had been walking Zeus, a dwarf Jack Russell/Border Collie mix, near The Dyke football pitch in Croesyceiliog, Cwmbran, on Monday afternoon when he broke free.

“He had a head collar on but had lost so much weight recently that it must have been loose on him,” said Jade.

“Zeus had been behind me when I just felt the lead go slack and when I turned I caught him heading for the river.

“He must have smelt the water and taken off.”

After weeks of wet weather, however, the river was too high and powerful for Jade to venture in to search for Zeus.

“It was just an impossible task and I knew after only an hour of looking that this was going to be more a case of body retrieval rather than a rescue.”

She added that she had since received numerous message from people with “kayaks, waders, drones and all sorts of specialist equipment” to aid her search.

“I’ve even offered a £1,000 reward to anyone who finds him, just as long as no one puts themselves in danger by doing so.

“I’m appealing to anyone who walks that route along the river on a daily basis to keep their eyes open and to let me know if they see anything.

“I’m out there searching every day and would be grateful for any help.”

Jade said that, not having any children herself, meant Zeus was “like her little baby”.

“What I really don’t want is him being washed into the River Usk and out to sea from there,” she added.

“I can’t bear the thought of not being able to hold him in my arms one final time.”