Three-legged North Wales sniffer dog Jojo retires

• by Gary Porter, DPW West
• Dec 17 2012

JoJo the rescue team dog was missing for two weeks

A THREE-LEGGED sniffer dog who has worked on high-profile search operations – including hunting for the remains of Moors Murder victim Keith Bennett – is retiring from duty.
Six-year-old Jojo, who continued working despite having one of her legs amputated after it got stuck in a fence earlier this year, will spend the rest of her days with Flintshire fisherman Lee Simon.
He found the spaniel in the car park at Talybont beach last week after she ran off from owner Dave Jones, who runs the International Rescue Training Centre in Abergwyngregyn.
Mr Simon took Jojo to the vet and after they traced her back to Mr Jones, he agreed she could remain with the fisherman having already decided to call time on her eventful search and rescue career.

“She wasn’t working as well,” admitted Mr Jones. “She couldn’t follow the lines she has to work because she was toppling over.
“Her son Billy, who is 12 months old, is now taking over her position. He is currently in training.”
He added: “It’s nice to see her go to a home where she can go out every day.”
Mr Simon, who lives in Mostyn, said: “She was in the car park and a few of the lads said she’d been there for a few days.
“She came over, I gave her some food and she just followed me on to the beach. We’ve bonded ever since I gave her that sandwich! She hasn’t left my side.
“She loves it down the beach, she goes hell for leather to get on it.”
Back in May, missing Jojo was discovered hanging from a fence with just her front paws touching the ground.
She had spent 12 days stuck to the fence – surviving by living off grass and rainwater – having got lost after chasing a rabbit while on a walk near her home in Penmaenmawr.
Jojo was found by Mr Jones’ colleague Mal Davies, who was searching with a black Labrador called Charlie, and after undergoing surgery to remove her gangrene-infected leg she made a remarkable recovery.
So much so that Jojo briefly returned to the infamous Saddleworth Moors to search for 12-year-old Keith Bennett, whose body is presumed to be there after he was killed by Moors Murderers Ian Brady and Myra Hindley in 1964.
Jojo – described by Mr Jones as his “best dog” – has also been involved in search operations in Northern Ireland, looking for IRA victims’ bodies.