Upper Yarra
Tuesday, 14 May, 2024
Study predicts crashes to rise in the Yarra Ranges
Breaking down the 2024/25 State Budget
90 years of the Healesville Sanctuary
See Real Estate liftout inside
PAGE 3
PAGES 4-6
PAGE 16
PAGE 19
A Star News Group Publication
PR OP ER TY
Phone: 5957 3700 Trades and Classifieds: 1300 666 808
Bruno is back! By Callum Ludwig A dashing Dachshund was emotionally reunited with his family on the first weekend of May after 10 long weeks. Bruno became the subject of searches throughout the Yarra Valley after escaping from a pet sitter in Launching Place on 16 February. Bruno’s owner Darlene Young said they were extremely worried. “We came down from Mudgee in New South Wales down to the Yarra Valley seven times in the 10 and a half weeks he was missing,” she said. “It’s hard because we had to we had to work so we could only come down on the weekend, we were leaving on Friday night driving all the way down there, walking around and looking for him and then driving back in the early hours of Sunday morning because my partner Andrew has to start work on Sunday night.” Mudgee is an over 10-hour drive from the Yarra Valley, located in the Central West area of New South Wales. Upon hearing about Bruno’s disappearance and being two of the many local residents who felt awful for the Young family, Sherri Johnston and Tracey Kelly helped lead the dedicated search and rescue effort for Bruno in the Yarra Ranges. Mt Evelyn resident Ms Kelly said they started a campaign of printing things about Bruno and putting them up on the Lilydale to Warburton trail which Bruno seemed to use. “I think everybody on the rail trail knew him and people would stop and ask about him when Darlene was there, it was plastered ev-
erywhere on, every community site and by doing that, that’s how we got sightings,” she said. “The whole Yarra Valley was looking for him in the end.” A ‘Help Find Bruno’ Facebook page that was set up garnered over 1000 followers, giving regular updates on sightings over the months he was missing. Ms Kelly said their task was made harder by the fact Bruno would bolt if anyone tried to approach him. “We had to put it out there in our posters to not approach Bruno at all, so instead we were trying to ground him somewhere, so he felt safe,” she said. “We had the owners sending down scent items to be ripped up and placed, we had trails of food everywhere and people were putting out food stations for him, but we seemed to be one step behind the whole time.” A number of lost animal assistance groups noted the situation and came onboard to help or offer advice including Pearl’s Army based in the Cardinia area, which Ms Johnston is a part of, Annette from the My Dog Is Missing group and Lyn from the Milly’s Search and Trap Community Group Facebook group. After weeks of Bruno being sighted at townships all over the Valley, even venturing out to Gruyere and Coldstream and seemingly crossing the Warburton Highway multiple times. Bruno was at one point almost pinned down on a property in Gruyere, but the search team only had access to a neighbour’s property and he moved on. Continued page 11
Bruno getting plenty of attention from owners Andrew and Darlene.
Picture: SUPPLIED
YARRA RANGES
Ph: 5966 9999
OPEN: MON-FRI 6.30am-5.00pm SAT 8.00am-12.00noon
9737 6833 • 24D JOHN ST., LILYDALE 12547338-JC18-22
NEW OFFICE NOW OPEN IN HEALESVILLE 301 Maroondah Highway, Healesville (03) 5929 7010
12685757-AP18-24
Computer Colour Matching
• Wills • Powers of Attorney • Probate and letters of administration
1710 Warburton Highway Woori Yallock 5961 5366
• VCAT Guardianship and Administration • Contesting estates
CALL NOW TO BOOK AN APPOINTMENT WITH US AT YOUR HOME, WORKPLACE, OR AT OUR OFFICE WE COME TO YOU!
Mon – Fri 9am – 5pm
(03) 5929 7010
info@yarravalleylegal.com.au
12664131-HC05-24
•SplitSystems •DuctedHeating andCooling •GasApplianceSales andInstallation
AU36010
SPECIALISTS IN
12339093-LB07-17
GAS HEAT & COOL