Thermal imaging and drones used in hunt for street dog on the run

Kim, an 18-month-old cross-breed, gave her temporary owners the slip on February 8, and since then has been seen roaming all Over Wyre, from Scorton to Bowgreave.

Local rescuers from Harvey's Army and experienced dog-catchers from Canine Capture UK have been using thermal imaging and drones to track the dog's movements in the hope of eventually trapping her.

Christine Walker, of Canine Capture UK, said: "Kim isn't familiar with traffic, and that's what's causing her to be at risk at the moment.

"The way we go about working with these dogs is to get them to stay in one area, usually after they become nocturnal. They go into survival mode. When she started running she would have been in flight mode, and when they are in that situation there's not a lot you can actually do other than try to keep them safe off the A6, because they are just running from everyone and everything.

"As they begin to realise they need to find food, it's then we begin to work with them by providing food.

"By providing food in quantities around a small area where the dog is, we try to get them to stop running."

Harvey's Army and Canine Capture volunteers hope to eventually trap Kim by training her to eat every day from a specific place and tracking her with night-vision cameras.

But they say they will have no chance of catching her if well-meaning people try to lure her in, as she is scared of strangers and will bolt if she sees them.

"We had two days when we thought we were successful in getting her to stay still, but something spooked her yesterday and she started running, and she's still running today," Christine said.

Kim was caught on camera off Park Lane, Garstang, on Saturday by Steven Green of Drone SAR for Lost Dogs, a volunteer group that uses drones to track missing pets. She was last seen around Eagland Hill and St Micheal's on Wyre today.

Anyone who sees her is asked to ignore her and call or text Canine Capture UK on 07434 587 175 or 07816 492 791.