A golden retriever, which had been missing for five days and suffered a 30-metre fall in the Waikato, has been found "alive and OK" to the delight of her worried owners.
The golden retriever, Luna, went missing on Monday evening after falling down a 30-metre cliff in dense bush to the water's edge of the Waikato River following lightning in the Cambridge.
The community spirit came to the fore with the Facebook post being shared over 3,000 times and over 700 comments on the post to help find Luna.
This sparked a five-day search with hundreds of locals from Cambridge, Hamilton, Te Awamutu, Morrinsville and Te Aroha helping hunt for Luna.
"Multiple people had called and searched this area these past 5 days, and not a peep from the petrified wee Luna," Luna's family wrote on Facebook.
After sightings in Morrinsville, Leamington, the search moved down to the river - where Luna's neighbours searched by Jet Ski and incredibly, the golden retriever was found on Saturday afternoon.
"After 5 nights, and literally hundreds of people searching, Luna has been found on a tiny embankment on the very edge of the Waikato River," Luna's family said.
"She had fallen down a sheer 30-metre cliff in dense bush, to the water’s edge!!!
"Our wonderful neighbours Ryan and Ty combed the Waikato River this afternoon on a JetSki and found an exhausted, scared and sore Luna in a spot unable to be reached or seen from above on the bush track."
When a scared and "petrified wee Luna" was found, the golden retriever struggled to contain her excitement.
"She would never have been found without a river search and for this, we are eternally grateful," the Facebook post said.
"She could not get on Ryan’s JetSki and into Ty’s arms fast enough!"
Luna's family said they couldn't thank the local community enough for coming together to search for their dog.
"Our family has been completely humbled and flabbergasted by the outpouring of support in the search, and reading the comments on social media today it genuinely seems to have captivated people.
"To the people of Cambridge, Hamilton, Te Awamutu, Morrinsville and Te Aroha all of whom came to join the search for our beloved adventurer," they said. "Thank you from the bottom of our hearts. Five days and nights without food and water our now skinny Luna is happy to be home to us, her very tearful family!
"Son, Rob, Rene, Ryan you are the best neighbours, devoting all hours of the day and night to searching.
"A special thank you to Wendy Hughes, Steffi Rosenbaum and Harriet Anselmi. Complete strangers and guardian angels who rallied many incredible, thoughtful human beings to distribute flyers, to cycle and walk, calling Luna’s name!
"From our family to all of yours, thank you."
