He’s proud of his bush craft and his knowledge of plants and Australian folklore.

He’s passionate about the recreational use of guns from muskets to pistols, after all he owns and operates his own sporting shooting range near Inglewood in the border rivers region of Queensland.

And he’s a great big softie.

Three weeks ago he lost his best mate, and the tears came.

He probably won’t say that, but we know they did.

Two weeks ago, he wrote this on Facebook: “I have stopped hoping now, she is gone…”

But today Tom Donald and his best mate are back together and neither could be happier.

Let us introduce you to Ziggy, who is up, in our view, for the prize for being the toughest dog in the world.

Almost a month ago Tom, with Ziggy, his 16 month old Dane/Bull Arab cross in the back of his ute, was travelling west from Inglewood towards Goondiwindi. 

Tom takes up the story.

“I had rigged up my old ute with a chain so she could ride safely in the back. She was then short chained to it, enough that she could poke her head over the side. 

“She is 16 months-old, weighed 50 kilos. 

“A new game was developed, as a semi approached towards us she would feint an attack, this time the shackle pin came out. It must have worked loose.

“She hit that Linfox B-double just over the rail crossing at Whetstone.

“That was Wednesday, April 27.

“I saw the body lunge in the rear view mirror. It is strange, but five minutes prior I thought I had better make a cage if she was going to continue doing that.

“I heard a bang on the side of my ute at the same time, and knew what had happened. She’d hit the semi, bounced off, hit the ute and then fell on to the road. It was a horrifying gut feeling of doom.

“I slammed the brakes on and saw her in the rear view mirror on her hind quarters, trying to get up. I saw blood on one front leg and thought she had torn the pad off her paw. As she struggled to get up all I could think of was that she had broken a hind leg. 

“Finally she was up and she took off into the paddock on the east of the highway.

“I called Ray Waugh that was occupying/caretaking the McMaster Farm and he helped me search daily, as did Scruffy Morgan from "Jellicoe".

“I searched morning and afternoon for 10 days.

“There was no sign of her at any watering holes, no prints, nothing. We looked for about a 5km radius, I even did 40km on a quad bike along the State Forest boundary, then into the Catfish Creek arms and back onto Tomlinsons Road but there were no prints to be seen. 

“My concern was she was laid up under a bush and she would die an agonising death or the pigs would get her.

“I was expecting to have to shoot her if I did find her.

“After 10 days and I ceased the search but not the hope. Three days, no water, she is dead, three weeks, no food, she is dead, but there’s nobody to be found, there’s still hope.

“We kept looking at the crows and hawks, if I saw them gathering I made a beeline to that area.

“Without a body there is hope…” And late last week that hope paid off.

Tom and Ziggy’s story began with Tom’s granddaughter Paige.

She brought Ziggy home much to Tom’s consternation.

“The last thing I wanted was another dog. Paige named her ‘Ziggy’.

His concerns became reality when Paige found work as a station hand and was not permitted to take the dog.

“So what does a man do? He tries to ignore the bitch as much as possible, without being nasty but not affectionate, as she was not my dog. But she grew on me like a wart.

“So we become inseparable, feeding horses, building items about the farm, putting horses to bed, helping develop the SSAA Sport Shooting Complex and veggie patch.”

And then, she was gone.

But while Tom and his neighbours searched for Ziggy, Ziggy was slowly but painfully making her way home to Tom and the horses and the veggie patch.

“I was getting a haircut on the verandah on Saturday (May 14). My two horses were poking about and they usually tap the steps for a bit of bread or carrot.

“I did notice the mare looking into the bush in front of the house and I had a good look in that direction but saw nothing out of the ordinary.

“Around 2.30 that afternoon. I was facing away from the steps and I heard what I knew was not the horses, I knew she had returned before I turned. As I did she had dragged herself up and was entering her kennel.

“Her head turned towards me with a look "I am in trouble I know".

No Ziggy, you were just home.

Ziggy who weighed 50kg now weighs in at 32kgs.

She is undergoing treatment at the Border Veterinary Surgery to correct a fractured hip, a chipped knuckle which will probably be removed, an infection and numerous grazes.

“She would have faced feral pigs, foxes, dingoes, and crows… All trying to make a meal of her. She is one special dog to crawl back home after 17 days in obvious agony with a temperature of 39 as a result of infection,” Tom said.

Ziggy was put into “hospital” at the Border Vet Surgery but after being away from Tom for 17 days, Ziggy was having none of it.

“She was not eating and as soon as I asked her why, she hoed into it. I took her a home, cooked a meal and gave her favourite cheeses slices.

“She is a big baby.

“I sat on the floor and she climbed onto my lap.”

We’re not sure who would have been happier.

B Ziggy has her own Facebook Page: https://web.facebook.com/ Ziggy-the-Bitch-1611610225736 800/