THIS time last year, the heartbroken owners of beloved family dog Coco were raising money for her recovery after she was hit by a train.
A year later, she is running and playing, wagging her tail like nothing ever happened.
Tilehurst pooch Coco, branded a "miracle dog" following the incident, survived being struck by a train after escaping from her home last December.
Coco ran away on December 12, 2019, from where she was being looked after by her owner's mother, Sammy Robb.
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As survival instinct kicked in, she lost her usual characteristics and continued to run, even as her name was called.
Coco ran through Norcot Road and Victoria Road, and was also spotted in Calcot as the frantic search for the dog continued.
Coco after being found last year
Speaking to The Chronicle last year, Sammy said: "I was told to call Highways England and National Rail to inform them and honestly wasn't sure if it would help much at first.
"When I was speaking with National Rail, they told me the news that a dog matching Coco's description had been struck by a train.
"I couldn't speak. When I calmed down, I asked what the likelihood of her survival was, and was told it was extremely unlikely that she would be alive."
Following another desperate search, a member of the public eventually found Coco lying 'lifeless' by a railway track on Saturday, December 14, 2019.
Miraculously, Coco was alive.
Her owners then began to raise money for Coco's recovery, and she was under 24-hour care at the Fitzpatrick Practice, run by "supervet" Noel Fitzpatrick.
Sammy has recently given an update on Coco, a year on from the unimaginable incident.
She said: "She's doing so well - to think we thought we may lose her, to not knowing if she would ever walk again, to her running around a year later - it's just unbelievable and we are so happy and feel so blessed."
Hundreds of people began following Coco's journey on a Facebook page called Coco's recovery, where many donated and checked in on the resilient dog.
But earlier this year, with the pandemic taking hold and facing a personal loss, Sammy decided to close the page.
Lately, many have taken to social media to ask to see recent pictures of Coco, and check if she has made a full recovery.
Sammy has delighted followers this month with some uplifting photos, showing the dog running around happily.
She said: "Watching her running around and seeing a living miracle, I decided to re-open it as so many people had asked for an update.
"We owed it to them through all the help with the search and love, prayers and donations - she wouldn't be here now without them."
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