By Tavleen Singh and Zaida Glibanovic, ABC
Hank the Tank survived a month away from home after disappearing into the Gippsland bush. (Supplied) Photo: Supplied
A stocky pet bulldog named Hank the Tank has defied the odds by returning home a month after he disappeared into dense bushland in regional Victoria.
The dog was missing for 30 days and four hours before finding his way back into the arms of his owner and best friend, Pakenham police officer Paul Lester.
"For him to go missing, it was absolutely heartbreaking," he said.
Mr Lester believes Hank spent the month lost in the chilly, dense bush of Bunyip State Park in Victoria's Gippsland region.
Hank vanished on May 15 from a property at Tonimbuk, north of Bunyip in west Gippsland, where Mr Lester was house-sitting.
The property backs onto the state park and the mountain bulldog cross took off with the house owner's dog, Benji, into a stretch of dense bushland known for its steep terrain, wild animals and freezing winter nights.
Benji returned two days later, but there was still no sign of Hank, who Mr Lester adopted from a rescue shelter in 2019.
Paul Lester with Hank, a mountain bulldog cross. (Supplied) Photo: Supplied
"Hank's very important to me," Mr Lester said.
"I was … going through a bit of a tough time back then, through some workplace injuries.
"Hank just sort of put me back on the right path and changed my life.
"He has been like my son ever since."
Hank's disappearance didn't raise a red flag immediately because he was known to chase rabbits.
"He is a natural boofhead," Mr Lester said.
"One time he tried to cuddle a kangaroo and didn't know what to do."
But when Hank didn't show up for days Mr Lester started to worry and went to extraordinary lengths to find him.
He installed roadside cameras, used drones and appealed to local horseriders and dirt bikers to help with the search.
Then on June 15, Mr Lester, who was still house-sitting, noticed a white fuzzy thing in the backyard and couldn't believe his eyes.
"It just hit me … that is Hank, just sunbaking near his favourite lavender bush," Mr Lester said.
"Looking at me with the biggest dopiest look on his face, like, 'Oh, g'day mate, where have you been?'"
Hank is known to "steal" his owner's police uniform vests from time to time. (Supplied) Photo: Supplied
The usually fit dog of 30 kilograms had lost a significant amount of weight and was a "muddy heap of mess".
"He has lost about 12 kilos or so, his ribs were exposed," Mr Lester said.
"I know there is no McDonald's down in the Bunyip State Park, so he would have been roughing it out there."
Now safely home, Hank the Tank is back to doing what he loves best: lounging in the sun and being by Mr Lester's side.
- ABC
