Happy end to the tail as assistance dog Toby is ‘back where he belongs’

After more than three days without his constant companion, a Limerick man with autism was last night re-united with his specially-trained dog.

Toby, a three-year-old cross between a Bernese Mountain dog and a beagle, went missing on Sunday from the home in Castleconnell where he had been living for more than a year with 21-year-old Peter Meskell.

The animal had undergone intensive training at the Autism Assistance Dogs Ireland centre in Mallow, Co Cork, at a cost of €15,000 before becoming a huge part of the lives of Peter and his family.

Shortly after he was homed with the Meskells, Toby was diagnosed with a serious medical condition and had to be given steroids.

That added to the family’s anguish when he disappeared as he needed the medication to control pain. However, there was huge relief last night when, just before 5pm, the dog was found at the side of the road in Castleconnell, close to the Meskell home.

It was unclear whether Toby had been returned by thieves, had simply got lost and then found his way back to the family home, or been found by locals.

Peter’s mother Nicola told RTÉ News: “It feels wonderful to have Toby home. He is back where he belongs. Thanks to social media, thanks to everyone who liked and shared his picture.

“Whether he wandered or whether he was found, it does not matter. Toby is home and that is the main thing.”