Costa's remarkable tale of survival after being lost for five months in Pembrokeshire
Last winter Pembrokeshire was held enthralled when Costa, the Newfoundland-cross, dodged all human intervention for an incredible five months as he survived one of the wettest winters on record.
Countless attempts to track him proved fruitless as the wily Costa stood fast to his instincts and continued to survive in the wilds for five bleak months.
Fast forward six months and Costa's life has change beyond comprehension. He goes for a two mile walk every evening, he has his very own passport and, most importantly, he now lives with a family who couldn't give him more love if they tried.
"To this day, we have no idea how he managed to survive," said his new owner, Lisa Davies of Pembroke. "When we first met him, he was terrified of us and had no idea how to deal with people. But with every day that goes by, his confidence levels are growing and we couldn't wish for a more loving dog if we tried."
Costa, who is now four years old, had been taken to the Greenacres Dog Rescue Centre after being rescued from an unknown location. But shortly after being taken into his new home, he escaped.
"It was around October 2023 when he was first reported missing in the St David's area," explained Lisa.
Despite numerous sightings, Costa's precise location remained a mystery to the thousands of people who began following his story on social media.
"It appears that he remained within a six-mile radius and from what we can gather, he tried to keep shelter underneath hedges and whenever he obtained food, he'd hide it, only to eat it later when he felt secure. We have absolutely no idea how he managed to survive."
What made Coast's plight even worse was the incessant rainfall which blighted the winter of 2023.
"There were sightings of him all over the place, and he was being tracked with drones. But he outwitted them at every opportunity. The drones lost him for a month and there were no sightings of him at all, They didn't even know if he was alive at that point But then a holiday maker spotted him and reported him, so sightings were made of him again and once again, the search for him started."
Costa was eventually caught in February of this year and was taken back to the Greenacres Animal Rescue in Talbenny for rehabilitation.
" He was terrified of people in general, as he still is, and that included us to begin with. We visited him a few times at Greenacres and maybe after an hour he'd calm down. But then Greenacres suggested that we take him home to see how things might work out."
In June of this year, it was decided that Costa should officially become a member of the Lisa Davies household. And this is what has resulted in an incredible turn-around in Costa's confidence as well as his willingness to learn new skills and commands.
"We have very little idea of the sort of life Costa led before coming to us, although it's obvious that he's had very little integration with people," explained Lisa. "When we first met him, we had no idea what sort of a dog he was. Naturally, we knew he had issues, one of which was the fact that he wasn't house trained. But within 48 hours he was. He's a very intelligent dog and responds very well to love and attention, but only from the people he knows."
Despite the fact that Costa has only been living in a secure, normal home for just over two months, his development has been considerable.
" We take him out for two mile walks every evening after work, because it's usually a little bit quieter then and he always goes out with our other dog, Freddie, who is a golden retriever. In many ways Freddie is a kind of counsellor for Costa who depends on him a lot for guidance and reassurance. If Freddie walks in front, Costa starts panicking that the other one is going to run away from him, so Costa has to walk in front."
He's now happy to walk on an extended lead, which is something Lisa never imagined would happen to Costa.
"He's definitely feeling a lot more confident in himself and is obviously responding to love and understanding. He hasn't got an ounce of aggression in him. He's just a soft and gentle big lovable teddy bear."
Earlier this summer Costa received his very first passport and was taken on holiday to Bulgaria, where Lisa owns another property.
"It goes without saying that we didn't let him off the lead, but we have a house over there with a high fence and quite a large garden and he absolutely loved being there.
"He's definitely feeling a lot more confident in himself and he's becoming more trainable - we've managed to get him to sit, even when we're out and about on walks.
"Last winter the whole of the county and beyond was following him so he's become a little bit of a celebrity. I get stopped all the time by people asking me if he's Costa and I'd love people to be able to smooth him, but he's not quite ready for that.
"It's remarkable the progress that he's made in just these two months since he's been with us. All we can do is just keep encouraging him and giving him the confidence. When you consider what Costa's been through, he really is a very special dog."
Costa's remarkable tale of survival after being lost for five months in Pembrokeshire
Last winter Pembrokeshire was held enthralled when Costa, the Newfoundland-cross, dodged all human intervention for an incredible five months as he survived one of the wettest winters on record.
Countless attempts to track him proved fruitless as the wily Costa stood fast to his instincts and continued to survive in the wilds for five bleak months.
Fast forward six months and Costa's life has change beyond comprehension. He goes for a two mile walk every evening, he has his very own passport and, most importantly, he now lives with a family who couldn't give him more love if they tried.
"To this day, we have no idea how he managed to survive," said his new owner, Lisa Davies of Pembroke. "When we first met him, he was terrified of us and had no idea how to deal with people. But with every day that goes by, his confidence levels are growing and we couldn't wish for a more loving dog if we tried."
Costa, who is now four years old, had been taken to the Greenacres Dog Rescue Centre after being rescued from an unknown location. But shortly after being taken into his new home, he escaped.
"It was around October 2023 when he was first reported missing in the St David's area," explained Lisa.
Despite numerous sightings, Costa's precise location remained a mystery to the thousands of people who began following his story on social media.
"It appears that he remained within a six-mile radius and from what we can gather, he tried to keep shelter underneath hedges and whenever he obtained food, he'd hide it, only to eat it later when he felt secure. We have absolutely no idea how he managed to survive."
What made Coast's plight even worse was the incessant rainfall which blighted the winter of 2023.
"There were sightings of him all over the place, and he was being tracked with drones. But he outwitted them at every opportunity. The drones lost him for a month and there were no sightings of him at all, They didn't even know if he was alive at that point But then a holiday maker spotted him and reported him, so sightings were made of him again and once again, the search for him started."
Costa was eventually caught in February of this year and was taken back to the Greenacres Animal Rescue in Talbenny for rehabilitation.
" He was terrified of people in general, as he still is, and that included us to begin with. We visited him a few times at Greenacres and maybe after an hour he'd calm down. But then Greenacres suggested that we take him home to see how things might work out."
In June of this year, it was decided that Costa should officially become a member of the Lisa Davies household. And this is what has resulted in an incredible turn-around in Costa's confidence as well as his willingness to learn new skills and commands.
"We have very little idea of the sort of life Costa led before coming to us, although it's obvious that he's had very little integration with people," explained Lisa. "When we first met him, we had no idea what sort of a dog he was. Naturally, we knew he had issues, one of which was the fact that he wasn't house trained. But within 48 hours he was. He's a very intelligent dog and responds very well to love and attention, but only from the people he knows."
Despite the fact that Costa has only been living in a secure, normal home for just over two months, his development has been considerable.
" We take him out for two mile walks every evening after work, because it's usually a little bit quieter then and he always goes out with our other dog, Freddie, who is a golden retriever. In many ways Freddie is a kind of counsellor for Costa who depends on him a lot for guidance and reassurance. If Freddie walks in front, Costa starts panicking that the other one is going to run away from him, so Costa has to walk in front."
He's now happy to walk on an extended lead, which is something Lisa never imagined would happen to Costa.
"He's definitely feeling a lot more confident in himself and is obviously responding to love and understanding. He hasn't got an ounce of aggression in him. He's just a soft and gentle big lovable teddy bear."
Earlier this summer Costa received his very first passport and was taken on holiday to Bulgaria, where Lisa owns another property.
"It goes without saying that we didn't let him off the lead, but we have a house over there with a high fence and quite a large garden and he absolutely loved being there.
"He's definitely feeling a lot more confident in himself and he's becoming more trainable - we've managed to get him to sit, even when we're out and about on walks.
"Last winter the whole of the county and beyond was following him so he's become a little bit of a celebrity. I get stopped all the time by people asking me if he's Costa and I'd love people to be able to smooth him, but he's not quite ready for that.
"It's remarkable the progress that he's made in just these two months since he's been with us. All we can do is just keep encouraging him and giving him the confidence. When you consider what Costa's been through, he really is a very special dog."