Chihuahua reunited with County Durham family after 11-day ordeal near A689

Kelly and Liam Enisz were left frantic when their pet chihauhua Penny ran off after a cyclist in Wynyard, County Durham. She was later found 11 days later

The heartwarming story of tiny chihuahua Penny, who disappeared near the A689 for 11 days, is far from a tall tale. Kelly and Liam Enisz were left in a state of panic when their pet ran off after a cyclist on the Wynyard Woodlands walkway, adjacent to the bustling dual carriageway.

For the following five days, Kelly and Liam set up camp at the walkway car park, where Penny had bolted, hoping she would come back. They barbecued sausages, hoping the aroma would entice her to their tent. A dog trapping team was even brought in as the Wynyard couple and their two children anxiously awaited good news.

A distressing 11 days went by before Penny was finally found, scratching at the door of a house in Wynyard. It happened to be Penny's birthday, and her return warranted quite the celebration.

Aside from shedding some weight, Penny seemed to have emerged unscathed from her ordeal. Previously a shy and nervous little dog, surviving in the wild for nearly two weeks seemed to have boosted her bravery, reports Teesside Live.

"It's strange but she used to be scared of the sound of the hairdryer and the hoover but now she's fine with them," said Kelly. "She even sat on my knee while I dried my hair today."

"It's as if she's saying, 'I've been battling foxes, I'm not scared! She's been sleeping in our bed since we got her back and she's still crying and whimpering in her sleep. But she's home and we're all just so relieved."

On the day Penny disappeared - September 3 - Liam and Kelly had planned to walk their four dogs before going out for a meal to celebrate Liam's birthday. Penny was fearful of strangers, especially men, and the couple think that she was accidentally frightened by a cyclist.

They pursued her, but Penny went into flight mode and disappeared. For the following 11 days, Kelly, 38, said they hardly slept or ate, unable to relax knowing Penny was alone outside. They posted messages on social media, asking locals to look out for their cherished pet. "Me and Liam camped out there for five days in a tent cooking sausages to try to lure her back," Kelly shared.

"My husband missed work and we missed a holiday to Disneyland in Paris we had booked. It cost us £1,000 because we didn't have insurance. But by this time we thought, 'it's just money, this is our Penny'. I was a mess."

Kind-hearted neighbours brought food to the couple as they kept their watch. They left their car doors open hoping Penny would see it and jump back in. Over the next few days, there were sightings and the Lost Dog Trapping Team, which searches and rescues missing pets free of charge, also joined the search.

"They were a godsend, honestly I can't even tell you. They are angels in disguise," Kelly said. "They used a thermal imaging camera, drones, sniffer dogs, put up posters - they were amazing. And they do it all for nothing."

The team also set up a feeding station in a field, with permission from the farmer. The nervous little dog was seen on a camera taking food but she then quickly ran away.

Further sightings were made and at one point, Penny was spotted dodging traffic on the A689. After being told, Kelly said she knew she had to prepare their children, Scarlett, 19 , and Cohen, 16, for the worst.

"I went in the kids' room and said, 'Penny has been seen running up the A689, and we have to brace ourselves for bad news and can't get our hopes up'," she said.

Then, on Sunday, after being on the run for 11 days, Penny made her way to a nearby Wynyard estate. The homeowners heard her scratching at the door and, having seen the social media messages, got in touch with the trackers.

Mandy Butler from the team called Kelly and Liam at 12.05am to give them the news they had feared would never come. Kelly said on arriving at the house on the neighbouring, they realised the front was "almost identical" to their own home.

"When we first saw her she was whimpering and we were crying, we were all just so relieved," said Kelly. "People had warned us to expect the worst saying she would have starved or been caught by a hawk or a fox or badger. But the tracking team always told us they were certain she would be found, saying was a clever little dog, keeping our hopes up."

Penny's disappearance not only left her owners distraught but also affected her canine companions. "We have three other dogs, Pickle, Ned and Coco," Kelly shared. "Pickle was the reason we got Penny because Ned and Coco are really close and Pickle was lonely. When Penny went missing she stopped eating and lost lots of weight."

The Wynyard community rallied together in the search for Penny, with Mandy expressing gratitude to everyone involved: from the farmers keeping an eye out to the locals providing sustenance to the searchers, and the volunteers operating drones over the terrain.

"It takes a community to help find a missing dog and, as usual, the Wynyard residents came out in force," Mandy said. "Our dogs are our lives and people see them as part of the family. To see the family heartbroken and suffering; they weren't eating, they weren't sleeping. But they never gave up."

Kelly and Liam, 36, have received offers of gifts for Penny from well-wishers, but they're encouraging people to contribute to the Lost Dog Trapping Team instead, which has a wish list available here.

Liam, who works as a tattooist, is also planning to donate a portion of proceeds from a tattoo convention in Stockton next year to the tracking team and the Teesside Family Foundation, with more information on the event accessible here.