Missing dogs found dead in sewerage drain

A week-long search for two dogs that were reported missing has ended tragically.
Ulie (10) and his son Max (7) were found dead in an open sewerage drain. 
“Ulie was found at around 4.30pm on 4 June and it looked like he had drowned,” said owner Mariaan Willemse.
“We took his body to the vet who confirmed that he had been dead for three hours at most. The vet said Ulie had eaten and was in good health before he died.”
At the time, Max was still missing.
On 5 June, Northsider contacted Willemse to find out how the search was going.
She said she was in the veld and that Joburg Water was onsite, trying to fix the drain.
“They said there is still something in the drain and I hope it isn’t Max. Please pray it is not Max,” Willemse said.
A few minutes after the call, Willemse informed Northsider that the other ”something” in the drain was in fact Max.
“We took Max to the vet as well, and he said Max had been dead for about three days,” Willemse sobbed.
“Ulie was probably trying to save Max, because it has happened before when Max jumped into the pool and Ulie dived straight in to save him.”
The dogs are suspected to have wandered off when the owners’ gate had malfunctioned.
“On 26 May our gate was giving problems and the nurse and housemaid who work at our house were battling to get the gate to close. They asked the neighbour to help, because they know how important the gate is. In this commotion the dogs did not hear the gate closing and they must have wandered off,” husband Joop told our sister paper Krugedorp News.
Willemse said they had distributed flyers in Allen’s Nek, Wilro Park, Struben’s Valley, Little Falls, Radiokop, Weltevreden Park, Florida, Horison, Witpoortjie, Lindhaven and Randfontein.
“The support was huge. Special thanks to SPCA Roodepoort, Friends of Rescued Animals, Community Led Animal Welfare and all individuals [who assisted in the search].”
Northsider understands that Ulie and Max will be cremated.