Next week is Pet Theft Media Day, May 9th.
Newspapers, magazines, TV and radio stations will be focusing on the impact of pets being stolen in the hope of bringing them home.
Since January, we have been sharing a monthly appeal for Doglost, a not-for-profit organisation that helps people whose dogs have gone missing.
It’s a terrifying thought and a scenario every dog owner dreads, but the more people are aware of missing dogs, the more chance there is of them being found.
This month we’re sharing the cases of Dixie, Louie and Nala, and if you have any information on them, please contact Doglost on the links given.
Dixie
Dixie is a five-year-old female Jack Russell, feared stolen.
She went missing from the front garden of her owner’s house in Dormansland, Surrey, on 22nd July 2018.
Dixie has never ran off or wandered from home causing concern that she has been taken from the garden.
She is tricoloured but mainly white and black and has a distinct round black mark at the bottom of her back above her tail. She has brown eyebrows and wired hair.
Dixie’s owner’s daughter, Carla, said: “Dixie is my mother’s main companion as she lived with only Dixie after my dad passed away. Dixie was originally my dad’s dog too so is a great comfort to my mother.
“Following her disappearance, we’ve all been distraught. Dixie and my mother used to cuddle every night on the sofa and she would rarely leave my mum’s side.
“My mother is devastated beyond words.
“Dixie loves playing in the garden with the grandchildren and she adores each of them. They miss being able to play with her.
“To anyone who knows where she is please report it to us or to DogLost. You can do it anonymously if you want to.
“If you have Dixie please let her come home to her owner who misses her so much.”
Dixie is microchipped and neutered and was wearing a purple collar at the time of her disappearance.
If you know anything about Dixie please call Doglost on 0844 800 3220 quoting dog ID 132173 or visit her profile here
Louie
Louie, a young male French Bulldog, was stolen from his owner’s Will Dunford’s car in Costco car park in Chingford on 27th February 2019.
Louie’s owners were in the Chingford area for work and, unusually, had needed to take Louie along with them after their dog sitter was unable to look after him that day.
Louie is microchipped and is chocolate and light tan coloured.
Following his disappearance his owners have been making the two and a half hour journey from their home in Stratford-upon-Avon to search for him.
They have also been putting up posters and have an active Facebook group for Louie.
Will said: “Louie has still not been found. I am desperate to get him back in my life as things haven’t been the same without him as is my partner Mally.
“I have decided to double the reward for anyone who can get him back to me. It is now £5000 cash with no questions asked.”
The police are also investigating Louie’s disappearance.
If anyone has Louie or has information on him, please contact DogLost on 0844 800 3220 quoting dog ID 140978 or to visit his Dog Lost profile here .
Join the Facebook group to help find Louie here.
Nala
Nala is a four-year-old Shar Pei, and she went missing from Strathclyde Park in Motherwell, Lanarkshire on 17th March 2019.
Nala was being walked by owner Debbie Land in the park when another walker dropped his dog’s lead and his dog attacked Nala.
Terrified, Nala ran and the other dog carried on chasing her and while they were able to retrieve the other dog, she kept running.
It’s vital she is found as she has IBD and may get sick if not fed the right diet and she is very wary of people other than her family.
Despite an extensive search of the park and surrounding area in the immediate aftermath, there was no sign of Nala.
Her distraught family have had drones, thermal cameras and sniffer dogs assist in the search.
They have given out more than 10,000 posters and a Facebook group, ‘Help Find Nala’, has more than 4,000 members.
Nala is microchipped and neutered and was wearing a collar on the day she went missing.
Debbie said: “This whole situation is a living nightmare. Nala is like a child to me, she’s part of our family and life isn’t the same without her.
“If anyone knows where she is or has any information, please come forward. I wouldn’t wish this situation on anyone.
“Nala is the sweetest most gentle dog out there, she doesn’t deserve this. She should be at home with her family and the people she loves.”
If anyone has Nala or has information on her, please contact DogLost on 0844 800 3220 quoting dog ID 141670 or to visit her Dog Lost profile here.
Join the Facebook group to help find Nala here.
Every day dogs go missing but every day they are found too
That’s what keeps families like those in today’s post going.
Sharing their stories so people are aware if they see them is vital too, so please, if you can, share this on social media, particularly if they are from where you live.
Thank you so much for reading this – it means a lot to Doglost and the families they support.
To find out about other missing dogs, you might like to read our Can you help find Louis, Aika and Anna, Can you help find Albi, Willow and Tilly or Can you help find Ruby, Beetle, Izzy and Dana.