Duke's dash ends in whale of an adventure

A runaway dog has lived to tell the "tail" after spending a night inside a whale-watching tour bus during a severe thunderstorm.

Seven-year-old Duke bolted from his family home in Roebuck Estate as Broome experienced heavy showers and thunder on January 23.

The dachshund cross was being looked after by friend Pam Walker while owner Jo Newton and her family were out of town.

Duke's disappearance sparked a frantic search by Ms Walker, who launched an appeal on Facebook and printed out fliers, while Mrs Newton's friends Tracey Gilchrist, Michaela Blomqvist, Karen Germinario, Linda Lablack and Kellie Williams scoured the streets.

Meanwhile, the news of Duke's disappearance was broken to Mrs Newton.

The distraught owner said she feared the worst as soon as she heard Duke was missing.

"We were beside ourselves and really upset and we didn't tell the kids because I was hoping for a happy ending," she said.

"I thought something unusual must have happened because he doesn't stray far from home even on the occasion he's got out, so I thought something bad had happened to him."

But the clever canine had found a window of opportunity on his doorstep when he jumped inside a Broome Whale Watching tour bus parked next door to his home.

Unsuspecting driver Val Birch had briefly left the vehicle unattended while dropping off her mother-in-law when Duke sneaked in an open door.

Mrs Birch said she returned to the bus and drove back to her home on Spoonbill Avenue, unaware she had a four-legged stowaway lurking in the back.

"I had no idea; I drove four or five blocks back to my place, parked the bus in front of the house and went in for the night," she said.

It was not until the next day about 3pm she realised she had unwittingly taken home the stowaway when she saw a pair of ears and a face peering at her from the front seat.

But before he could be caught, Duke scarpered again.

The canine's adventure eventually came to an end and the search was called off a few hours later when he was discovered wandering near his old Roebuck home by Mrs Germinario.

Mrs Newton said the family was thrilled to be reunited with Duke and thanked her friends and the community for helping to find him.