Free Darcy the Dog
Brentwood & Ongar Liberal Democrats have joined the campaign to get Hutton Dog Darcy, of Essex Fire & Rescue Services, released from quarantine in Colchester. The campaign also has the backing of Colchester's Lib Dem MP, Bob Russell.
Darcy flew to Sumatra with her handler John Ball, a technician at ECFRS' Urban Search and Rescue base at Lexden as part of a 65-strong UK search and rescue team sent out to assist in the aftermath of the recent, highly-publicised earthquake. The team included seven Essex officers.
The Essex team flew into Pedang and worked in an area covered by a huge mudslide that buried several villages and claimed hundreds of lives. Darcy and the team worked alongside other search and rescue dogs in humid, monsoon conditions.
But while dogs from Switzerland flew home and immediately went back into action, on Darcy's arrival into the UK she was shipped into quarantine, where she will have to spend the next six months in a tiny pen and without her handler who has been with her since she was a puppy. Darcy lives in Hutton with her doting owners John Ball, her handler, and his wife Helen.
Darcy is inoculated against Rabies and has a pet passport, but this does not apply to Indonesia.
Animal loving Lib Dem Councillor Karen Chilvers said:
"To support the campaign to release Darcy, follow the link below and download a form to send to Essex Fire & Rescue Service. You can also join Darcy's campaign on Facebook.
"Let's try and get Darcy home for Christmas with her family ."