Healthy Hound Missing Pet Search & Rescue

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We are the original South African missing pet specialists! First in SA with dogs and handlers who undergo strict and regular training.

We have a team of highly trained handlers with awesome highly trained search K9s Healthy Hound is the original, most successful and most experienced missing pet unit in Africa. We have a team of dogs that are experienced in tracking dogs, cats, wildlife and more! Although based in Gauteng we have traveled to other provinces and have even had a callout to the Karoo as well as a callout to search for a dog on Table Mountain! But, it’s not all about our K9 partners. At Healthy Hound, we have an amazing team who are there to help and guide you from the minute your pet has been found and we will not abandon you until your pet is found. We have been involved with the searching and rescue of some high profile dog and cat searches and have been in local and National news many times. But, it’s not all about the news making searches! Our little team started in August 2020 when K9 Zizou had a career change at 1yr old from anti poaching to missing pet search. From the beginning, she has excelled as a search dog, even in difficult circumstances. Subsequently we have trained up a bunch of other dogs and strive for continuous training for handlers and dogs alike. We do not rely on just one dog and will pick the right dog for the job. And we use other search methods too if they are needed. We like to take a holistic approach to searching. We also do not just search! We also perform rescues (including technical rescue) and do regular work in communities such as our snare walks and other initiatives. We have done some dramatic rescues and some amazing investigations which have resulted in great success. With a success rate that is comfortably over 85% and the fact that we also do rescues, it is the logical choice to contact us when a pet goes missing.

10/11/2026

🐈‍⬛ THE SNAKE, THE SCENT AND THE GREAT VOID ESCAPE!

Some cats want to come home, others have a slightly different idea of how things should work!

Meet Void, a very vocal black cat with white paws from Darrenwood, who recently went missing and whose family called on Healthy Hound for help.

Axl was first on the scene, conducting the initial search and picking up scent not far from home. We ran a custom lure, but something wasn’t adding up…. Void was clearly in the area, yet she wasn’t making her way home.

Time to go back to the drawing board.

After a little investigation, we discovered a possible explanation: The family had recently welcomed a new pet into the household. A snake! And it seems Void wasn’t particularly impressed with this new addition to the family. 👀

So, we changed our approach and brought Blue in.

Blue tracked Void to another property, where there was an enormous amount of scent. Void was staying relatively close to home, but clearly wasn’t in any hurry to return to her humans.

A new plan was put in place, but Void had other ideas! 🐾

She moved on to yet another yard, a little further away. We suspect that Blue may have given her a bit of a fright, prompting a change of address!

Eventually, Void made it home. But apparently, one adventure wasn’t quite enough. Not long after arriving, she attempted another disappearing act.

Fortunately, her humans were paying attention and were quick to stop her!

Void is now officially grounded for a few weeks, equipped with a Nomad tracker and unlikely to be going anywhere without supervision for a while.

There are a few things this search reminds us of:

* We don’t give up just because the first plan doesn’t work. Sometimes we need to reassess, look at the bigger picture and change our approach.
* Owners who listen, follow advice and work with us are an important part of the search process. Their involvement can make a real difference.
* And sometimes, no matter how carefully we plan, cats have their own ideas about how a search should unfold!

Void’s search wasn’t a straight line from missing to home. It required patience, problem-solving, two different search dogs, a few changes of plan and humans who stayed involved.

But that’s what we do: We keep working the problem until we get results.

Welcome home, Void! We think you have had quite enough adventures for one lifetime. And perhaps it’s time to make peace with the new snake in the family!

A big thank you to Void’s family for trusting us, working with us and helping get this vocal little escape artist home.

🐾 Healthy Hound Missing Pet Search & Rescue
When they’re missing, we’re searching.

📞 083 505 9673

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10/11/2026

🐾 TEAM TUESDAY | MEET KRYPTO

She looks like she’d take no nonsense from anyone, a serious-looking Dutch Shepherd with an imposing presence.

The reality? She’s a big, goofy, friendly sweetheart with enough FOMO to keep an entire team busy!

Meet Krypto, the youngest member of the Healthy Hound family. She turned 1 last Thursday, although you’d be forgiven for thinking she’s much older! 🐾

First things first… where does her name come from?

She is named after Krypto, Superman’s famous four-legged superhero companion! Given her enormous personality, enthusiasm and apparent belief that she should be involved in absolutely everything, we think the name suits her rather well! 🥰

So, what does this little superhero do?

Krypto is currently developing her skills in several disciplines, including:

🐾 Mantrailing and human tracking
🐾 Detection work
🐾 PSA (Protection Sport)

Tracking is where she really shines!! She can be easily distracted in everyday life, but put her onto a fresh human scent and suddenly it’s all business!

She’s still learning and occasionally joins our more experienced dogs on searches. We believe in the value of allelomimetic learning, allowing younger dogs to gain valuable experience by observing and working alongside experienced dogs.

Today she has also started the Summerland Dog Training 30 day case study and this morning did her first track.

But let’s talk about her personality…

Krypto has drive. Lots of it!!! She LOVES working and absolutely hates missing out.

If she’s left sitting in the vehicle while another dog gets to work, she’ll throw a little vocal tantrum to make her feelings known whilst James or Diane sit and try keep her calm and give her company. It’s quite hilarious! Interestingly, the moment the working dog disappears from sight, she transforms straight back into sweet little Krypto. Apparently, the protest was strictly for the audience!

She’s also quite the chatterbox and isn’t shy about telling you when she has something to say.

At home, she’s very much the goofy kid everyone loves. She’s particularly attached to Bandit, her biological uncle. The two are inseparable, and we are fairly convinced Bandit thinks we got him his very own puppy!

And then there’s Diane: Krypto is a 100% mommy’s girl. Wherever Diane goes, Krypto goes. She’s rarely far away and is happiest keeping an eye on her favourite human.

Krypto’s growing body and busy schedule are fuelled by Ideal Pet Food Puppy from Ideal Pet Food. Between training, keeping up with Bandit and making sure she never misses out, she’s got plenty of growing to do! And if you feel how strong she is, you know this food fuels her well!!!

What’s her future looking like?

We see Krypto developing into an important part of our community work, alongside her continued detection, tracking and sporting training. She has plenty of potential, and we are looking forward to seeing how she develops.

She’s young, she’s enthusiastic, she’s occasionally a little distracted, she’s VERY vocal and she has absolutely no intention of missing out on anything.

That’s our Krypto. One year old, full of personality and very much a work in progress. Watch this space!

fans Klaver K9- Dutch Shepherds

09/11/2026

🏡 WELCOME HOME, MALIE! A LITTLE TEAMWORK GOES A LONG WAY! 🐾

Ten-year-old Malie went missing from a vet after escaping through a window.

His family was frantic. Malie had been at the vet for treatment, and now he was missing, unfamiliar surroundings and all.

That’s when Healthy Hound was called in. Enter Bandit.

Our search dog got to work, following Malie’s scent and helping us narrow the search area from THREE suburbs to ONE street.

There were several properties along the way carrying significant scent, with one being a hot bed of scent and tons of hiding spots.

This is where experience and a carefully considered strategy become important.

We deliberately chose not to push too hard or put unnecessary pressure on the area or that property. The last thing we wanted was to disturb a potentially hiding Malie and send him moving further away.

Instead, we made a plan.

Marius took the information Bandit had given us and got involved. He walked the identified street repeatedly, set up traps and even brought along Malie’s Jack Russell best friend, with whom he shares a very special bond.

And then… After walking that street approximately 20 times, Malie finally emerged from the bushes!

HE WAS HOME!

Marius believes Malie picked up the scent of his best friend, who was with him during the search. And the reunion? Apparently, it was an absolute licking and rubbing competition in the car on the way home!

But there’s something else we’d really like to highlight about this search: MARIUS. You were an absolute star. ⭐

You didn’t sit back and expect our dogs to do everything. You understood the logic, listened, followed the strategy, asked questions, got involved and kept going.

In fact, Marius himself told us:

“If it wasn’t for your dogs’ direction I wouldn’t have known where to target.”

That’s exactly the point.

Our search dogs provide valuable information. Our handlers interpret that information and develop a search strategy. But the involvement of the pet owner can make an enormous difference to the outcome.

We can bring the dogs, the experience and the search strategy. Having an owner willing to put that strategy into action is invaluable.

And Bandit? Well, he earned himself a steak!

Welcome home, Malie. We hope you enjoy being back with your family, your canine best friend and the rest of the furry welcoming committee. ❤️

Have a missing pet? Don't wait. Get in touch with Healthy Hound.

Call or WhatsApp us on 083 505 9673.
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Your engagement helps our posts reach more people who may need us. �

fans

09/11/2026

A LITTLE UPDATE FROM US

We owe you a few welcome home posts, and we haven’t forgotten about them!

The events surrounding Krypto have taken up an enormous amount of our time and energy. We have been working hard to get answers, pushing for the matter to be properly investigated and, most importantly, making sure our dogs are safe.

Our social media has understandably taken a bit of a back seat.

We are definitely not giving up on getting a case formally opened and ensuring that what happened to Krypto is properly investigated. We will continue pushing for accountability and answers.

But life doesn’t stop either. Yesterday, we were back at the new property, working on fencing and getting things done there so we can move as soon as possible. Sometimes there simply aren’t enough hours in the day.

We will be sharing a welcome home post today, and tomorrow we kick off our next Summerland Dog Training Case Study, which we’re really looking forward to!

Thank you to everyone who has been patient, supportive and understanding over the past few days. We appreciate you being here, even when we’re a little quieter than usual.

One step at a time.

05/11/2026

Happy Birthday to Krypto, Zazu and the rest of this special litter. Hope everyone got lots of cuddles and treats today 🥰

04/11/2026

😡 WE GOT HIT AGAIN. AND THIS TIME, IT WAS KRYPTO. 😡

————
SAPS UPDATE – 9 NOVEMBER

Some positive developments: our statements have now been taken and a theft case has been opened.

Captain V/D Vyver has initiated an investigation into the Sergeant’s handling of the incident, including the decision to allow the individual found with Krypto to leave.

We want to acknowledge Captain V/D Vyver and Warrant Officer Crewe for the efforts they have made to move matters forward.

Having spent time speaking with them, we now have a much better understanding of the pressures facing the team at Erasmia: Warrant Officer Crewe, the Captain and several other members there are carrying substantial workloads and dealing with significant demands on their time. We can appreciate how this affects their ability to respond and communicate as quickly as they would like. This gives us a better understanding of the challenges they face, and we recognise the efforts being made to address our concerns.

A special thank you to Warrant Officer Crewe, who has been professional, approachable and genuinely committed to helping us. She even took the time to meet Krypto and, as it turns out, is a fellow dog lover!

Her determination to make a positive difference at Erasmia deserves recognition. We sincerely hope she gets the support she needs to continue doing the good work she clearly wants to do.

We appreciate the steps now being taken. We will continue following both the investigation and Krypto’s case closely.

Thank you to everyone who has supported us along the way.

South African Police Service Ian Cameron
—————
Tonight could have ended very differently.

This evening, Krypto went missing. Anyone who knows her will know that this dog is ridiculously attached to us. She has FOMO, follows us everywhere and is rarely out of sight.

We searched our property but couldn’t find her. Then Diane discovered a food bowl just beyond our fence, behind the cottage, out in the veld. Something wasn’t right.

We brought in Bandit and Cairo.

Bandit worked from the scent at the bowl, while Cairo worked Krypto’s scent. Together, they tracked to a group of abandoned buildings, where we found Krypto in the possession of a man.

There were two people at the location. One fled when we approached.

We immediately requested SAPS assistance. Given the circumstances, we wanted a case of suspected theft opened and the matter properly investigated.

SAPS REFUSED TO OPEN A CASE OF THEFT.

Let that sink in.

We had a missing puppy. We had located her in someone’s possession. We explained how our trained dogs had tracked from a food bowl just beyond our cottage fence to abandoned buildings where she was found.

And SAPS declined to open a theft case.

The explanation given to us was that the man may simply have found her and was trying to return her.

But where had he supposedly found her? How had she ended up at those abandoned buildings? Why was she there in the first place? Why was his scent in our property?

These are precisely the questions an investigation should establish.

We are not asking SAPS to declare someone guilty without evidence. We are asking them to investigate circumstances that warranted investigation.

How can members of the public be expected to report suspected criminal activity and trust that it will be taken seriously when a request to open a case is refused under circumstances like these?

This is particularly concerning given that, over the last few nights, we have also had someone moving around near our cottage. We have been on edge, and tonight has reinforced our concerns about the security of our property and our animals.

Krypto is still a puppy. She turns ONE this week. She is friendly, trusting and completely unaware of the dangers around her.

We are incredibly grateful that she is home. We are also incredibly proud of Bandit and Cairo, who did exactly what they were trained to do.

But this should never have been necessary.

We will not pretend tonight’s events were acceptable, and we will not pretend that SAPS’s refusal to open a theft case was an appropriate response to the circumstances we presented.

A missing animal is not just an inconvenience. And a suspected theft should not be dismissed without proper investigation.

Tonight, our dogs found Krypto. We would like to know why the people we called for help were unwilling to investigate how she got there.

04/11/2026

ALWAYS LEARNING, ALWAYS DEVELOPING.

An exciting new opportunity for Healthy Hound!

Krypto and Diane have been selected as ONE OF JUST THREE TEAMS WORLDWIDE to participate in the Summerland Dog Training 30-Day Tracking Case Study!

It is an incredible privilege to have been chosen, and an opportunity the entire Healthy Hound team is looking forward to making the most of.

At Healthy Hound, development never stops. Diane and James are both committed to their own ongoing professional development, while continually developing the skills and capabilities of the dogs they work with.

Training is part of everyday life at Healthy Hound and our dogs train regularly because consistency and continued development are essential to maintaining and improving their working abilities.

Diane’s own professional development includes ongoing trailing studies as well as other dog related studies. This programme offers an exciting opportunity to further expand her knowledge and experience in tracking. Although closely related, tracking and trailing involve different approaches and techniques, and there is always value in developing a deeper understanding of both disciplines.

Over 30 days (starting 10 November), Diane and Krypto will be putting in the work through daily tracking training, individual guidance and video feedback.

Of course, this is very much a team effort! A special thank you to James, who is always in Diane and Krypto’s corner. He will be supporting them throughout the programme, getting involved and learning alongside them.

And keeping Krypto fuelled for the journey will be Ideal Pet Food Puppy Food! Thank you to Ideal Pet Food for continuing to support Krypto and being part of her development.

We are looking forward to sharing the highs, the challenges, the learning and the progress along the way.

COME ALONG FOR THE JOURNEY!

Follow Healthy Hound on our social media pages to keep up with Krypto and Diane’s progress over the 30 days.

We also encourage everyone to head over to Summerland Dog Training’s social media pages to discover more about their work, training and the programme itself.

Thirty days of learning, development and plenty of hard work lie ahead!

Because at Healthy Hound, we never stop learning.

Klaver K9- Dutch Shepherds

03/11/2026

TEAM TUESDAY | ZIZOU: THE DOG WHO CHANGED EVERYTHING

Meet Zizou: Dutch Shepherd, working dog, ball fanatic and the dog who helped change the direction of Healthy Hound. ❤️

When I first heard that Kilo9 Academy had a particularly talented dog available, I was intrigued. She was a one-year-old Dutch Shepherd (a breed I was unfamiliar with at the time) with a substantial amount of training already behind her. I had my provident fund money available, made a decision and bought her. It turned out to be one of the most significant decisions I would make.

At the time, my goal was human search and rescue. Axl wasn’t suited to that particular role, and I wanted a dog who was. Zizou already had experience in mantrailing and fi****ms detection, so the plan was to build on those skills and develop her further.

She arrived as a complete whirlwind. Crazy about work and playing ball, incredibly quick to learn and so attached to me that going anywhere without her was practically impossible.

Then came a missing Bengal kitten called Tigger… Tigger belonged to one of my training clients, who knew about Zizou’s search training and asked whether we could try to find him.

Zizou located Tigger’s exit point and tracked him. The search ended with Tigger safely reunited with his family, and something I had thought about for years suddenly became a real possibility.

Back in 2011, my previous dog KD and I had searched for a missing cat called Mouse. We never found him, but that experience planted the idea of searching for missing pets. At the time, my job at Dis-Chem Pharmacies took priority, and the idea never went any further. Until Tigger.

My original intention had been human search and rescue, but that first search with Zizou opened a completely different door. James and Charlotte helped me develop the dogs for this new direction, and what would become Healthy Hound’s missing-pet search journey began.

Looking back, it’s quite something to think that one missing kitten and one very talented Dutch Shepherd helped set us on this path.

Zizou wasn’t simply another dog joining the family. She helped turn an idea into the work we do today.

And that is why this girl will always have a very special place in the Healthy Hound story. 🥰

There’s a lot more to Zizou, though. We’re only getting started! Check in next week for more about Z.

30/10/2026

SOMETIMES THE CLUES AREN’T JUST ABOUT WHERE THEY’VE GONE…

Meet Loki: A handsome dark Siamese boy who recently decided to take himself on another adventure from his home in Midstream Hill Estate. Loki had been known to explore before, but never for long and, as far as his family knew, never very far.

On Monday evening, our team headed out, with Diane and Axl taking the lead. Axl picked up a little scent around one of Loki’s usual hiding spots, but it wasn’t enough to confirm he had been there. He continued working and took us towards a nearby veld area, where he started whining an indication that the cat is close). We decided to rule out more of the estate and revisit some of Loki’s usual spots, but Axl kept returning to the same area.

While chatting to Loki’s mom, we discovered something interesting: Loki is quite the hunter! Suddenly, a few more pieces of the puzzle started making sense.

There was also something else to consider. Loki and his family have been through quite a lot recently, with his beloved dog sister, Sadie, having passed away. We sometimes underestimate just how sensitive our pets are to changes in their family and the loss of a companion. While we can’t know exactly what Loki was experiencing, it was certainly something worth considering when working out what might have prompted his adventure.

Taking all of this into account, we put together a lure specifically for Loki and developed a plan of action to help both him and his mom. And then came the hardest part: waiting…

Last night, just as we were preparing to head out for a follow-up, the phone rang. It was Loki’s mom. He had been found! Her words to James were: “He was exactly where you said he was.”

Loki had ventured just off to a side street alongside the veld area Axl had repeatedly indicated. His hunting adventure was officially over!

Mom is ordering the Nomad tracker we have been recommending, and Loki has been placed under house arrest for the next few weeks. We suspect he will have plenty of time to contemplate his future adventures!

Welcome home, Loki. Perhaps now is the time for you and your mom to do a little healing together. Sadie will be missed, but healing is something we sometimes have to do together.

At Healthy Hound, finding a missing pet is only part of the job. As South Africa’s most experienced and successful missing-pet search and rescue unit, we don’t just look at where an animal might be. We work to understand why they may have gone missing in the first place. Behaviour, environment, circumstances and the individual animal all matter. It’s this bigger picture that helps us develop a search strategy suited to the animal we’re looking for.

Need help finding a missing pet?

Healthy Hound Missing Pet Search & Rescue
083 505 9673

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28/10/2026

🚨 BREAKING NEWS: KIRA IS HOME! 🚨

Yesterday, Kira, a 1-year-old Australian Cattle Dog, went missing from an estate near Midstream.

This morning, the Double Dutchie Duo were dispatched with their humans!

James first scouted out the veld where Kira had last been sighted and, with the assistance of Thorburn Security Solutions, the area was checked. Kira wasn’t there.

The team decided to move to the veld where she had been seen last night and deploy the dogs.

Working carefully, with TRT Security on standby with a drone if needed (ours is waiting for a new remote!), the dogs and handlers followed the scent trail.

At one point, the heat was getting a bit much, so the dogs needed a break so Diane decided to continue on foot while James stayed with the dogs.

Using skills from her bush days, Diane picked up the spoor and started tracking Kira herself.

At one point, Diane found signs that Kira had been resting before moving on. The track was doubling back in the direction of James, the dogs and Kira’s mom.

As Diane approached, Kira’s dog sibling suddenly barked!

Diane was indeed on Kira’s trail because THERE WAS KIRA!!!

She bolted past everyone, and Kira’s mom let their other pup go. That pup essentially rugby-tackled Kira! 😂

And just like that, Kira was safe and home!

This search is a reminder that every detail matters. The dogs followed the scent trail, and when they needed a break, Diane continued tracking on foot until she found Kira.

As South Africa’s oldest and most successful missing-pet search unit, Healthy Hound brings experience, trained dogs and dedicated handlers to the search for missing pets and a team who have a love for training - and it paid off.

A massive thank you to Thorburn Security for their assistance with the initial veld search, and to TRT Security for being on standby with drone support if needed. We appreciate the teamwork and support!

And, of course, well done to the Double Dutchie Duo and their humans!

Welcome home, Kira! ❤️

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📞 Need help finding a missing pet?

Contact Healthy Hound Missing Pet Search & Rescue on 083 505 9673.

Please share this post to help more people discover what we do. Your share could help another missing pet find their way home!

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