Ghostman on the run: Community continues to search for Australian shepherd

The search for an Australian shepherd on the run in the Charlottetown area is now being followed by more than a thousand people online, with dozens putting in long hours searching for the dog named Ghostman.

• Looking for Ghostman: Lost dog attracts a community of searchers

Ghostman got loose Friday night around 10 p.m. in downtown Charlottetown, less than 24 hours after arriving from Mississippi. He pulled his way out of his collar and bolted, and the search has been on ever since.

The Bring Home Ghostman Facebook page has provided up to the minute coverage of the search, as volunteers tried to follow the dog's trail.

Eyes only

Attempts to get close to Ghostman have been largely unsuccessful.

At one point on Monday, one of the searchers got close enough to get the dog eating out of her hand. But a car door slammed close by, startling Ghostman, and he took off running.

Some of the online posters have talked about the skittish nature of Australian shepherds, who are known for their intelligence, but can also take time to build up trust with new people.

Hughes emphasizes that it's critical that people don't try to call or approach Ghostman, but find a safe distance and contact her with his location.

"We're asking people to be eyes only now," said Hughes, whose contact numbers are on the Bring home Ghostman page.

There have been concerns as the temperatures dropped, because Ghostman had never seen snow before arriving on P.E.I.

There are alsoreports that the dog is limping, but Hughes says that isn't slowing him down.

"He was still jogging so he can't be hurt very bad or else he wouldn't be covering the amount of ground that he's still covering," said Hughes.

Setting a trap

The crew looking for Ghostman have tried setting up a cookstove in a fenced area and trying to entice him with some freshly cooked meat.

Now the searchers have a humane trap that they will set up with a motion-triggered camera.

There had been discussion on line of using a tranquilizer dart to slow Ghostman down, but experts at the Atlantic Veterinary College in Charlottetown advised the family against it.

There was also the suggestion of a drone to fly over the search area. But there is an extensive process to get approval for a flight plan, and with the dog's constant movements, the drone seems unlikely.

Heading for the country

For Ghostman's owner, Hannah Hughes, the community support has been the "silver lining" to an otherwise stressful situation.

Initially Ghostman was sighted in the Victoria Park area of Charlottetown. But on Tuesday, he started heading out of the city and is now ranging through the rural countryside.

"That was definitely discouraging, just based on the fact that it's so much easier to sight him when he's in town, it's just a more concentrated area," said Hughes.

Thankful for the support

It has been a rollercoaster of emotions for Ghostman's Hughes. Her hopes go up every time he's spotted.

"It's helpful in the sense that we know he's okay, we have eyes on him," she said.

"That can also be frustrating that you see your dog and they're twenty feet away from you but you can't actually coax him to come with you, so it's kind of a double-edged sword."

Still, she's thankful for the support.

"It's just nice to have so many people helping," said Hughes.

• MORE P.E.I. NEWS | 1 in 7 P.E.I. students excluded from writing PISA test
• MORE P.E.I. NEWS | Our etiquette expert gives his advice for the office Christmas party