A WORRIED owner has put out an SOS to help him track down his beloved pet white dove.
Dovey McDoveface was rescued as a chick four years ago and hand-reared by doctoral student Dave Nicol.
But the feathered friend went missing from Luddington a week ago [Monday 29th May].
This is out of character for Dovey, says Dave, as he’s very tame and well-used to flying free and always returning.
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Dovey was best friends with Dave’s black Labrador Zero, who died from cancer in November, and used to curl-up with the dog at night and even ride on his back.
Dovey also has his own bedroom, a converted wardrobe at Dave’s home in Leamington.
And he has his own Facebook page Dovey McDoveface, with pics and a videos showing him flying free.
Dave first met Dovey four years ago, when he worked at a farm in Warwick.
He told the Herald: ”Dovey was a really young chick and kept falling out of his nest repeatedly, even though I kept putting him back.
“Eventually I took him home, as I was worried a cat, or other animal would get him.
“I hand-reared him and then tried to set him free but although he’s a strong flyer, he’s never wanted to leave.”
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While he’s temporarily based in the Far East for a work project, Dave’s mum Christa has been caring for Dovey at her home in Luddington.
Dave, who has been back in the UK, explained: ”Dovey was sitting on my shoulder for about an hour the day he went missing, so I was really surprised when he didn’t come back from a flight.
“I think he probably landed in another garden and got disoriented.
“I’ve spent days searching for him – this little chap has a tremendous amount of character, and he’s my baby.”
Dovey is wearing red anklet rings on his legs, and these have Dave’s phone number on.
It’s not the first time the dove’s gone missing, he also disappeared when Dave took him to Cornwall.
He recalled: “He took off and didn’t come back, so I thought that was it but the next day, I got a phone call from a family who’d found him.
“If, this time, he’s gone off and met a woman dove, then that’s fine, as I only want the best for him.
“But I’m worried he won’t survive in the wild because he’s so friendly and won’t realise that not all dogs are friendly like Zero.
“He won’t see cats as dangerous.”
Dave, who’s in his final year as an engineering doctoral student at Warwick University, postponed his flight for as long as possible but has now gone back to Thailand where his mobile phone may not work.
He added: ”Dovey will probably jump on people’s arms or shoulders, so if someone does spot him, he should be quite easy to catch.”
Anyone who spots Dovey is asked to carefully put him in a cardboard box with holes for air and contact the Herald, so we can make sure he gets safely back to Dave’s mum.