WATCH | Courageous Durban dog 'Bilbo' found alive after going missing for a month

The family of Bilbo, a resilient Newlands, Durban, dog is celebrating after he was found far from home on Thursday after being missing for more than a month.

The heartwarming story was shared by Tracy Mclelland Smit, who works for Lost Souls Animal Rescue in KwaZulu-Natal, according to her Facebook profile.

“The best news ever ever ever, we found Bilbo,” shared Smit.

The news was met with excitement by her followers, who praised her for continuing the search for weeks on end. Asked by one user how they found Bilbo, she said the pet had been spotted “on the outer boundaries of a school field” the night before, prompting a search on Thursday morning.

“When I arrived there this morning I just knew he would be lying low, away from the noise of the school kids. I called his name, then in the distance I heard 'we can see the dog'.

Because Bilbo had been trapped in a fenced area, Smit said they had to remove rocks and tree branches to clear way for him.

“We called and called and then we saw him. We enticed him with Kentucky and were able to get him.”

The school at which the pet was found was far from home, which made it impossible for Bilbo to find his way back home.

One follower pointed out that the pet seemed to be in great shape, to which Smit responded by saying he had lost 7kg.