- Jane Errey from Karratha, WA was driving with her blue heeler Clancy when she suffered a car accident
- When she spotted Clancy’s broken restraint, she realised he’d vanished
- Three months later, the pair reunited
Here Jane tells her story in her own words.
Glancing in the car’s rearview mirror, I smiled at my beautiful blue heeler Clancy, then two, sitting in the back seat.
‘Good boy,’ I beamed.
It was July 2023, and we’d just spent a few days with some mates in remote Coral Bay, WA. My boy and I were now 17 kilometres into our eight-hour journey south to another friend’s place in Dongara.
After averting my eyes from the road for a millisecond, I looked up and realised I’d veered onto the other side of the empty scrub-lined road. Yanking the steering wheel to the left, I over corrected, and my ute skidded off the road, while I was driving at the speed limit of 110km/h.
As the tyres hit the loose sandy verge, the ute flipped and rolled five horrifying times before finally landing upright.
Even though my head hurt, my first thought was Clancy.
‘I scanned the scrub for signs of my little buddy.’
All the windows were smashed and, spotting my boy’s broken restraint which had been fastened to the seatbelt buckle, I realised he’d vanished.
‘Where are you!?’ I fretted, more worried for Clancy than for myself.
My ute was written off, but I had bigger concerns for Clancy. Cars whizzed along this stretch of road, dingoes prowled the plains and rocky ranges, and poisoned bait was sometimes laid for feral animals.

Moments later, as I got out of my mangled car, two vehicles pulled up.
‘You need to sit down,’ one of the people who’d stopped said.
So I did, but I scanned the scrub for signs of my little buddy.
Soon after, an ambulance arrived and I was rushed to nearby Coral Bay Nursing Post.
I’d been reluctant to leave without Clancy. But thankfully one of the kind strangers who’d helped me, Mandy, and her parents, Jenny and Rob, turned up to drop off my suitcase, which had been in my car.
‘We’ve put out water, food and a bed for Clancy at the crash site,’ Mandy said. They’d even left some of my clothes there, in the hope my scent would lure Clancy back to safety.
‘I couldn’t believe their kindness and generosity.’
Mandy had also made a Facebook page called Bring Clancy Home to spread the word.
I couldn’t believe their kindness and generosity.
Later that evening, I was transferred by the Royal Flying Doctor Service to Exmouth Hospital where X-rays suggested I had broken vertebrae.

The next day, my friend Leah – a dog trainer who’d been training Clancy since he was a pup – drove 500 kilometres to the crash site and spent 10 hours searching for my boy.
Meanwhile, I was transferred to Royal Perth Hospital for more X-rays and had surgery to fuse my C6 and C7 vertebrae, which was a success.
Keeping updated on the Facebook page and through Leah while I recovered in hospital, I was amazed at the lengths she and all the incredible volunteers were going to for me and my little mate. People with drones and infrared cameras donated their time – even a pilot joined in, searching from above!
Leah had gone home when there was no sign of Clancy, but drove straight back after a dog trainer from Carnarvon named Rob spotted him running about two days after the crash.
He’s going to be okay, I thought.
Camping out in her car, Leah left out food and water for Clancy. On Sunday night, a week after the accident, my phone buzzed – it was Leah.
‘I’ve got him! I’ve got Clancy!’ she exclaimed, as I burst into happy tears.
Leah had been in her car when she’d heard the rattle of Clancy’s restraint, which was still attached to his collar, as he drank the water she’d left for him.
Recognising Leah, Clancy had jumped up and down excitedly, then hopped into her car.
Aside from a couple of grazes, Clancy was fine.
I was desperate to be back with my goodest boy. But while I was discharged a week on wearing a neck brace, intensive rehab meant I had to stay in Perth close to the hospital.
Meanwhile, Leah dropped off Clancy at my mate Jenni’s house back home in Karratha. Thankfully, Jenni sent me lots of pics of my buddy.
‘I cried as my boy raced towards me.’
Finally, three months later, in September last year, I was reunited with Clancy.

Walking into Jenni’s backyard, still wearing my neck brace, I cried as my boy raced towards me.
‘I’m home,’ I said, hugging Clancy tight.
Giving him a scratch, I treated Clancy to lounge privileges from then on.
With my brace off since late September, recovery is going well. I still don’t have full movement of my neck, but I’m back running and riding my road bike.
Clancy is my special boy – and he is safe, thanks to the amazing generosity of big Aussie hearts.
I’m forever grateful to everyone who helped bring my boy home.