Red the Welsh Border Collie
Red, a Welsh Border Collie, survived 10 days in harsh conditions after disappeared during a walk on Preseli mountains. Facebook

A brave dog who went missing in the snowy mountains in Pembrokeshire has been found alive and safe after 10 days.

Red, a 13-year-old Welsh Border Collie, managed to survive more than a week in harsh temperatures after she disappeared during a walk in heavy snow on Preseli mountains on 28 December. Red's family, the Thompsons feared they would never find their beloved family pet.

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Caitlin Thompson, a 21-year-old student at the University of Reading, and her father Richard had been walking Red on Foel Cwmcerwyn, the highest point of the Preselis, when the dog went missing. Caitlin told The Independent the family were in "disbelief" that their pet had managed to survive for so long.

"There were a lot of people around sledging due to the heavy snow but towards the end of the walk she disappeared," Caitlin said.

In an interview with The Telegraph, the student added: "She just disappeared. She had a little high-vis vest on, so we thought we'd see her in the snow. As soon as we realised she wasn't there, in the snow with her vest on we thought we'd see her but she just disappeared.

"I think she got disoriented as her hearing is poor due to her age. We looked all day to no avail, so that night I put a post on Facebook and hundreds of people shared it and offered to help search."

Caitlin said the following day a group of friends and people who offered to help searched across the mountain for the missing pet. "We continued this daily and put up posters," she said.

"We were really worried due to the weather being so bad and upset at the thought of her being up there on her own.

"Then, yesterday, I got a call from a woman who had found her and was in disbelief that she had survived for so long - we were all elated."

The missing pooch was found safe by a couple of holidaymakers identified as Sarah and John on Saturday (6 January) following a 10-day long search and rescue operation. Caitlin said the pair had seen Red's missing poster and found her about a mile from where she went missing huddled by some rocks.

"She did amazingly to last so long. We took her to the vets immediately and other than severe weight loss she's doing well."

Red is now at home "eating lots and enjoying the warmth," Caitlin said.