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A family had the bittersweet shock of their lives after bidding farewell to their dead dog, only to find out they had buried the wrong animal.
Codie Hutton, 26, was devastated when her nine-year-old springer spaniel Maisie bolted on Saturday 5 November.
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She had stopped her car to give Maisie a quick comfort break when a firework went across the road.
Speaking to the East Anglian Daily Times, Hatton, from Suffolk, said: "She just bolted. Straight out of the car.
"It was still early, so I wasn't expecting any fireworks and I was only letting her out for a quick walk on the lead.
"Just like that, she was gone."
A search party went out looking for Maisie throughout Saturday night and Sunday, with Hutton and her dad camping out in the last field that she had been spotted in.
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However, on Monday morning, the worried dog owner received the call she had been fearing, with confirmation that a flattened body had been discovered.
Hutton buried the body at their home in Crowfield with a picture of the pooch having fun with her three-year-old son Taylen, wrapping it in Maisie’s bed.
"We were convinced from the tail and markings on the legs that it was her," she said.
"A microchip couldn't be found, but we accepted and made peace with her death."
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Hutton added: "I told Taylen she was a star in doggy heaven now. It was devastating,"
But two days later, the family were shocked when they had another call – this time from someone saying they had seen Maisie, having been captured by a couple near a school.
"I thought she was gone. I thought I was never going to see her again,” Hutton said.
“I still couldn't believe it was my Maisie."
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The vet hadn’t been completely convinced that the flattened body found earlier in the week had belonged to Maisie, saying the paws indicated it may have actually been a fox.
After being reunited, Hutton posted an update on Facebook, where she had originally sought help, writing: “MAISIE! I have my baby back. THANK YOU SO SO SO MUCH EVERYONE OMFG!
“PLEASE DONATE AND FOLLOW FIDO LOST DOGS WHO ASSISTED ME ON THIS HEARTBREAKING BUT HAPPY ENDING JOURNEY."
In a later post, she added: “She is doing GREAT! Happy, healthy and back to her cheeky self!”
With local Sam French – who runs voluntary group FIDO (or ‘Finding Ipswich Dogs Organisation) – a huge hero in the operation, Hutton has now set up a GoFundMe page to raise money for the cause.
Jess Hardiman