From wolves to elephants, one man has been on a wild journey to become an animal behaviourist.

Living in Aspatria, Mike Collins has just about seen it all when it comes to animals and has a pretty good understanding of how best to help and rescue them when they have gone missing or in danger.

His work came to light after his heroic efforts to help trace a missing dog near Mawbray.

Now working for Oak Tree Animal Rescue, he made his way with out hesitation to help fine the missing chocolate Labrador.

Her owners were terrified they would not get her back and spent days searching.

Within hours of asking for help, people rallied round and she was eventually found four days later.

Hope made her getaway after her walk on Sunday, April 19, as owners Dave Winder and Darren Partington tried to get her back in the car.

Dave, from Halton in Lancashire, was staying in Silloth at his caravan.

He said: “Everyone has been absolutely brilliant. The community here is amazing. I can’t believe how many people came to help Hope.”

Hope is a rescue dog that the couple took on in February.

She had been used to breed and had been locked in a coal shed. The poor dog had not been socialised and one of her previous owners had even tried to strangle her, said Dave.

When the pair rescued her, they knew they had a lot of work to do but were more than happy to give her a forever home.

As more and more people came out to help, it felt like mission impossible.

There were only a few sightings and she was only coming out at night.

Thankful for everyone’s help, Dave said: “We had so many people helping.

“I wish I could name them all.

“If it wasn’t for the work of Mel from Ani-Mel, we wouldn’t have been able to get the message out to everyone.

“Kayleigh Barnes came out every night until 4am with soup, tea and coffee.”

Trawling the sand dunes was Mr Collins, working for Oaktree Animal Rescue, he is a dog behaviourist from Aspatria, who helped find where she was staying.

Oak Tree Animals’ Charity is a well-established charity throughout Cumbria and the Lake District. Along with rehoming dogs, cats and equines, a huge part of their work involves working within Cumbria’s community.

The Community Team at Oak Tree work hard to provide options to keep pets in loving homes wherever possible and appropriate, and try to prevent animal welfare issues arising.

Just last week, Oak Tree Animals’ charity’s community team aided in the safe return of a run-away dog, Hope, at Mawbray Nature Reserve. The community engagement officer Mr Collins assisted in this case by providing behavioural advice to the owners to help rebuild the dog’s confidence and encourage the return to its owner.

Mr Collins has experience working with big cats, wolves, elephants and many more wild animals.

“He has a BSc in animal behaviour and subsequently taught animal care and behaviour at a college prior to joining Oak Tree’s Community Team.

Mr Collins said: “I’m glad to be part of the Oak Tree Community Team as we get to help people and animals on a daily basis.

“The work is so rewarding as you feel like you make a difference every day.”

Caroline Johnson, general manager said: “Our teams are experts in their field and are passionate about animal welfare and pet ownership.

“It is important that people know what to do if they find themselves in a situation requiring help with their pets.”

The important message is to report any missing animals as Cumbria will search.

Five handy pointers to help keep your dog safe when out and about:

1. If you lose your dog or find a missing dog you must, by law, contact the Dog Warden. Remember to contact the Dog Warden of the council area in which you lost or found the dog. Please refer to Cumbria County Council for up to date contact details.

2. Microchip - Ensure your pet is microchipped, it has been a legal requirement to ensure dogs have been microchipped since 2016, horses since October 2020 and soon it will be law for all pet cats to be microchipped. Microchip details should be kept up to date with any changes in phone number, address or ownership for them to be efficient, it takes 10 minutes and is worth your time! Your collar and tag must also be up to date and display the correct owner details.

3. If letting your dog off a lead, ensure you know the area, understand the potential risks and distractions to your dog and that your dog has a reliable recall. Many things can go wrong when letting your dog off a lead, understanding these situations can help prevent them from occurring, an example being dogs entering bodies of water with strong currents. This can be avoided by understanding the area and making decisions based on your knowledge. Always be aware of any local wildlife and livestock in the surrounding area.

4. Keep your dog in your field of vision at all times, by always being able to see where your dog is and what they are up to, you reduce the risk of losing track of your dog.

5. If things do go wrong, it is important not panic and to remain calm. This can be easier said than done but you are far more likely to help/resolve an issue when calm rather than panicked