Off the leash! Clever two-year-old Border Collie called Pepper catches the BUS home on her own after becoming separated from her owners in park
- A savvy border collie was able to catch the bus home after getting lost on walk
- Pepper, 2, walked miles to the right bus stop and hopped on for a 15 minute ride
- It was the first time the clever canine has made the trip without her owners
A bright border collie managed to get a bus home after getting lost chasing some geese while out on a walk.
Rescue dog Pepper bolted from Julie Jones, who was taking her daughter’s dog on a stroll her own around a lake early one morning in a Stevenage park.
Owners, Charlotte Jones, 25, and Saffron Caps, 23 looked for her without success, then started making online appeals.
However the two-year-old collie walked nearly three miles to a busy town centre bus station and then hopped on the No.7 Arriva service.
Passengers watched on stunned, as she sat for 15 minutes before getting up at her stop and jumping off when the doors opened.
Where Pepper then waited until she was reunited with the relieved owners.
Saffron Caps, 23 and Charlotte Jones, 25, were relieved to find their dog Pepper (all pictured together), the border collie got lost chasing geese in a park in Hertfordshire and managed to take a bus back home by herself
The bright two-year-old border collie was spotted getting on a bus (pictured) by someone who recognized her and contacted the owners by sending this photo
Pepper (pictured after her journey) was familiar with the route having taken it several times before with her owners, but miraculously was able to find her way home by remembering the correct bus stops
Charlotte said: ‘Her natural instinct is to go and herd them and chase, so she’s bolted.
‘Pepper then lost sight of where she was going and then must have ran straight into town.
‘The bus driver saw her come on and was thinking the owner was behind.’
When a passenger recognised the dog she told the driver and was able to get a picture of her to contact Saffron.
The lady told the driver the dog was going to stay on the bus until she met her owners.
Charlotte added: ‘She knew when to get up when the bell rang. We have done that bus ride for so long, the doors opened and she jumped off.’
The woman got off the bus, too, and waited with the pet her until Charlotte and Saffron arrived.
Passengers on the Stevenage bus were shocked to see Pepper (pictured on the bus) walk on and lie down while she waited for her stop
Owner Charlotte said the nearly three-year-old border collie’s actions were like something of Lassie
Charlotte believes that Pepper was able to go to the Stevenage bus station, find the right stop and board the correct bus because she regularly makes the trip with her and Saffron.
Charlotte said she is very proud that Pepper was able to find her way home, describing it as like something out of Lassie.
The pair were ‘so grateful’ to the lady who looked after Pepper, which allowed their panicked two hour ordeal to end.