A dog has been reunited with its owner after it went missing from Bowling Harbour earlier this week.

Ness, a springer spaniel, is said to have run off from the lower marina on Wednesday, May 1.

Businesses in the area rallied around her devastated owner in an effort to trace the lost pup.

On Friday, as employees at Paton’s Petals turned up to work they heard howling coming from somewhere in the harbour.

Elaine Paton, owner of the floristry, told the Reporter this prompted an immediate search.

She said: “My daughter and I were coming over the bridge to the shop and we could hear howling.

"We were all over [searching] and then I went and got Iain from Magic Cycles to come out to see if he could hear the noise.

“I told him to go to one side of the bridge and I’d go to the other. The minute I stood on the bridge I could hear it coming from underneath.

“I said ‘Iain she’s trapped’.”

Ness had gotten stuck in the mechanics of the grounded section of the bridge and was unable to move.

Elaine explained that she contacted the harbour master and Ness’s owner as the rescue mission got underway.

She added: “It was actually the grounded part of the bridge that she was stuck in so not the bit over the water.

“We eventually lifted up that part of the bridge but wee Ness was still stuck. It was such a relief to see that it was her.

“Once we found her we had her out in around 20-30 minutes. She was covered in mud and copper rust because it’s a big metal plate that’s underneath.

“She couldn’t move she, was jammed in the surroundings of it so her owner had to haul her up whilst we held the bridge open.

“It was quite an emotional morning but thank goodness we got her. It’s a great community down here, we all support each other.”

Ness is now back with her owner and is said to be “fine but exhausted”.