Please help me find precious pup BB
ADESPERATE appeal has been launched for the return of a “precious” puppy believed to have been stolen in Runcorn.
French bulldog “BB” had been left alone briefly in the front driveway of owner Lydia Lawson’s parents’ home on Ludlow Cresent in Higher Runcorn at about 9am on Friday when dognappers are believed to have struck.
Lydia and her family have now started a publicity blitz in a bid to retrieve the 10-week-old puppy.
Their efforts have spread the word close to home, as well as around Liverpool, Manchester and St Helens.
BB’s disappearance had added heartbreak for Lydia, 36, whose last dog died a couple of months
ago through illness. On Monday, her sister, Hayley Lawson, said there have been a slew of other similar incidents in the area as well as St Helens, with smaller dogs and puppies going missing.
She said the family had ruled out escape as a possibility, and although brindle bitch BB is still very small, Hayley said there was no evidence of a bird of prey or fox taking her.
BB also vanished during a busy time of day during school runs for the nearby Heath secondary and Pewithall primary.
The puppy was bought for £2,500 from a Liverpool breeder and with more than one Crufts winner in her bloodline, Hayley said she could be worth far more if she becomes a show dog.
Lydia estimates she could be worth around £10,000.
A £2,000 reward has been offered for her return.
BB, which is short for “Bourbon Biscuit”, has a distinct white stripe above her nose and a white patch on her underside.
She is also microchipped.
After the pup’s disappearance, the family has rallied round, contacting dogs homes and the Dog Lost volunteer group as well as putting up posters in an effort to make her “too hot to handle”.
The suspected theft has hit Lydia hard.
Hayley said: “She’s absolutely devastated. We all are to be honest, and my parents are, they’re feeling so guilty, the puppy was in their care.
“It’s just not a nice thing.
“People don’t understand it when they’re not dog lovers.”
She added: “[Lydia] had ● to have a Staffie put to sleep a couple of months ago, she was so poorly.
“She’s got that and then this has happened. They’re just so precious.”
She added: “She was on the driveway – they’ve got big gates.
“He (their dad) literally went in, made a cup of tea, went outside and she’d gone. It was 9 o’clock on Friday.”
Anyone with information about BB’s whereabouts can call Lydia on 07807 550 701 or Hayley on 07712 524 216, or 07850 139 630. Alternatively contact Dog Lost on 0844 800 3220.