Rain curbs hunt for police dog Thames

Searchers hunting for police dog Thames are resting until settled weather returns to Mt Holdsworth, Senior Sergeant Mark Davidson told Wairarapa Times-Age reporter Nathan Crombie. PHOTO/LYNDA FERINGA

Warnings of high wind and heavy rain have forced searchers to suspend their hunt for police dog Thames despite his Wairarapa handler aching to return to the mountains where his animal disappeared on Sunday.

Senior Sergeant Mark Davidson, officer in charge of the Wellington police dog section, said police and volunteer searchers had rested yesterday after more than two days of searching for the 3-year-old German shepherd, which vanished near the Totara Creek to Red Creek area at Mt Holdsworth while on an exercise with his handler Constable Mike Wakefield and a search and rescue team.

Wairarapa police dog handler Mike Wakefield and his dog Thames at an earlier Wairarapa police pay parade.

"Mike came back out late last night and he got a good sleep but he's still pretty cut up, like his family, so he's itching to get back in there as well."

Mr Davidson said search teams had scoured the area west of Carterton for any sign of Thames until about 9pm on Tuesday night while Senior Constable Tony Matheson, head of Wairarapa LandSAR, camped in the ranges that night in the hope of the dog coming to him.

Mr Davidson said temperatures late yesterday were still reasonable although the rain was expected to be heavy, which will swell the streams and rivers that Thames could be following to return home.

"It'll make it more difficult for the dog if he's moving around and there's an increased risk he'll be swept away if he's close to that water.

"But these are all unknowns and going on the experience of pig-shooters and deer hunters, he could pop back out in a week or two.

"You never know."