Yesterday we briefly told you about Pero, the dog who walked 240 miles to get back home, in our April 28th edition of Barking News. This story is so amazing; we thought it deserved a little more attention. This is the story of a journey that seems like it was taken straight out of the 1993 movie Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey. In that movie, 3 pets, Chance, an American Bulldog; Shadow, a Golden Retriever and Sassy, a Himalayan Cat, run away from the ranch of a family friend, where they were left by their owners, and trekked hundreds of miles back home to their owners.
The Incredible Journey of Pero: The Dog Who Walked 240 Miles to Get Back Home
In this real-life story, Pero, a sheepdog that lived on a farm in Penrhyncoch, England with 14 other sheepdogs as well as their human owners, Alan and Shan James. Pero was sent to live on another farm temporarily in Cockermouth, England. Shan James said to the Daily Mail about Pero and his temporary move, “We have a lot of dogs, and a friend knew the farmer in Cockermouth was looking for a dog that could round sheep and follow a quad bike. We thought Pero would be ideal for the job.”
However, just a few days (April 8) after Pero arrived at his temporary home in Cockermouth, England, he went missing while in the midst of herding sheep. Amazingly, just 12 days later on April 20, 2016, Pero showed up back home on the James’ farm. What is so extraordinary is that the two farms are 240 miles apart.
To cover 240 miles in a 12-day period, Pero roughly trekked about 20 miles each day. According to Stan Rawlinson, a dog behaviorist and obedience trainer in the UK said that it was possible for Pero to have made a journey like that. He said that herding dogs like Pero do have a natural compass, and they have a good sense of spatial awareness.
The sheepdog breed of dog is known for being large, athletic herding dogs. They have medium levels of energy and are smart and adaptable. While it is true that these dog breeds have the ability to cover lots of ground in a day, it is unsure if Pero walked that entire way or if he even ate anything during his 12-day journey. However, Shan James said upon Pero’s return, ‘When he came back, he wasn’t hungry or weak, so he must have managed to find food somewhere. He must have stopped in places along the way.”