Hamster Wants To Play Golf By Himself *BichonFriseOwner

COOKIE'S UNDER PAR IN A CRAZY GOLF ADVENTURE

CHRISTINE SHERRATT

12:00 - 30 April 2003 A Family went to play crazy golf on holiday and ended up having a three-day game of hide and seek with their mischievous hamster. The Taylor' s of Goodwin Avenue in Newcastle stopped off at a site in North Wales for a quick session of golfing fun - and took four-month-old pet Cookie with them for a run-around.

But the playful animal, belonging to 13-year-old Jade, somehow managed to lodge himself in a pipe obstacle on the course's eighth hole.

The family spent hours unsuccessfully trying to get Cookie out.

They had to leave without their pet but made sure he wouldn't go hungry by putting a week's supply of food out before setting off back to North Staffordshire to hatch a rescue plan.

And after three whole days of head-scratching, an international rescue team specially trained in dealing with earthquakes and human disasters finally arrived at the Llangollen venue.

But before the experts reached the scene, council workmen had come up with their own plan - and decided to dig out the hamster from his temporary home. However, they discovered Cookie had vanished. The hamster is now on the loose in Wales.

The family had been on holiday in Barmouth before stopping off at Llangollen on the way home for a quick game of crazy golf.

Dad Neil said: "Jade decided it wasn't fair to leave Cookie in the car while everyone else went to have some fun. But she soon wished she hadn't as Cookie got firmly stuck in the pipe."

After the exasperated family had gone home, they called officials at Denbighshire County Council to ask if the obstacle could be dug out of the course.

At first the council turned down the suggestion, believing the Taylor family was playing a joke.

However, when word spread about the animal's plight inside the pipe, the North Wales branch of the British International Rescue and Search Dogs volunteered to help.

The team, who have experience in saving human lives in India, Mozambique and Bosnia, arrived armed with infra red cameras and microphones ready to free Cookie.

But council engineers had beaten them to it.

They hammered through the pipe only to discover the pet had done a disappearing act.

Neil, a marine artist, reckons the animal had escaped by boring a hole of his own. He said: "Cookie had already scarpered by the time the council workmen chiselled their way through. It seems he must have found his own way out.

"I guess he is now on the loose somewhere in North Wales which is very upsetting for my daughter.

"We have no idea at all where he will be.

"I am sure one day he will pop up on the golf course again."

A Denbighshire County Council spokesman said: "We used a hammer and chisel to dig through the pipe but by the time we got there the little hamster had gone.

"It is a shame for the child but these animals are quite resilient. We may see it running around at some point in the future."

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