Tears, hugs as owners reunited with Burrito after ‘fluke’ sighting by searchers

After 11 days lost in Auckland’s Botanic Gardens, celebrity toy poodle Burrito has been found by two dog walkers on a riverbank … shivering, hungry and badly dehydrated but alive.

Three-year-old Burrito disappeared while playing with another dog in the off-leash section of the sprawling gardens and his owners, Grace and Isaac Layola, have been camping there overnight in the hope he’d catch their scent.

Already a bit of a celebrity with thousands of followers on his Instagram page, the search for Burrito captivated many of Auckland’s dog lovers via the city’s lost pet websites.

Dozens of people headed to the Botanic Gardens and adjoining Totara Park to help with the search.

Among them were dog lovers Lisa Webster and her friend, Amanda Te Wake, who decided to try their luck early Monday afternoon.

“Well it was a bit of a fluke because [Amanda] had her big dog Odin with her and … we were going to turn back towards the dog park but there were quite a few dogs there that were off-leash so we went another way to avoid them,” Webster said.

“We decided to have a look while we were walking down along the stream.”

She glimpsed some movement on the opposite bank of the Puhinui Stream.

“I was like, ‘Oh my God I’ve found him! Oh my God!'”

Burrito was perched on a muddy shelf on the other side of the stream, partly obscured by thick foliage.

She immediately searched online for the owners’ number and got hold of Grace Layola.

“I put a jacket around him and just cuddled him and kissed him and tried to give him water but he didn’t want anything. He was just really shaky,” Webster said.

“But when the owner came running towards us his tail started wagging. It was a beautiful sight to see.”

Isaac Layola said his heart was beating so fast and he couldn’t believe it was really their Burrito.

Grace couldn’t stop crying.

“I was like, ‘You guys are angels sent from above’,” she said.

The couple took Burrito to the Manukau After Hours Veterinary Clinic, where he was kept overnight for observation.

“He’s been shaking and is very tired so they’re going to keep him overnight and give him IV fluid,'” Grace Layola said. “He’s so skinny I can feel his bones.”

Her husband added: “He smells as well. He’s covered in mud.”

The small dog has lost a kilogram in weight and was severely dehydrated.

The couple’s extended family also arrived at the clinic to share in the happy moment.

“It’s the best feeling to see you reunited, I can’t explain it,” said Isaac’s sister Ibs Layola.

“Eleven days. [Now] our mental health can go back to normal … eventually … when he’s back at home.”