Ghostbusting dog or barking mad?

Weston & Somerset Mercury - Nov 9 2006

JOE the Jack Russell puppy is only 12 weeks old, but his puppy powers can sniff out ghosts.

The Cheddar-born pup has become a local legend at a museum for barking and yelping when entering places that are reputed to be haunted.

Exhibition director at the Museum of Kent Life, John Jordan, said: "Joe seems to yelp when he is in areas we believe to be haunted. We think we are the most haunted museum in England, so we get quite a lot of people who come looking for ghosts."

Joe moved to Kent when he was two months old and became a mascot for the museum when workers there fell in love with him. Since then he has become a regular visitor and seems to get excited in certain ghostly areas.

John told the Somerset Mercury that Joe seems particularly attached to a ghost at Petts Farmhouse, an 18th century building on the site.

The ghost is said to be of the late Mrs Rebecca Alexander. Rebecca was boarding a pony and trap carrying a baby when the pony reared. Rebecca died but the baby survived, and her ghost is said to be roaming the area where she died, looking for her baby.

John said: "The ghost has been making appearances since Joe arrived. We think she is pleased Joe is here because he has cheered her up."

Since Joe shot to fame he has performed a live ghost detection on a local radio station. He was recorded yelping excitedly when he entered an office that was supposedly haunted by a nurse.

His owner, Christine Lily is more sceptical of Joe's gift. She said: "I don't know whether Joe barked because he sensed a ghost, or whether it was because he was excited about the biscuits they were offering him.

"I do think dogs are very sensitive. They can tell when you are upset or when something is wrong. Whether they can sense ghosts though I don't know. I think I prefer to sit on the fence.