Home at last! Dog stolen 7 years ago is found
WHEN their beloved Jack Russell was stolen seven years ago, Brian and Pauline Berry assumed they would never see her again.
But incredibly the couple have been reunited with their dog Molly – after police found her more than 200 miles from their home.
Officers discovered the badly scarred and underweight dog, now ten, wandering around a travellers’ camp near Leamington Spa, Warwickshire, earlier this month.
They scanned her microchip and contacted Mr and Mrs Berry, who were delighted to hear she was still alive, although in poor health.
Retired carer Mrs Berry, 64, from Sunderland, said: ‘When the police officer told me they found Molly I was in shock.
‘She thought I’d said Molly had been missing for seven weeks. When she realised I had said seven years she couldn’t believe it.’
No trace of three-year-old Molly and her litter of eight pups could be found after they were stolen from Mr Berry’s workshop in 2008.
The couple contacted the police, printed posters and offered a reward for the dogs’ safe return, but eventually gave up hope.
Retired mechanic Mr Berry, 68, said: ‘It was hard that we couldn’t do anything about it but we never stopped thinking about her.
‘It’s absolutely brilliant to have her home – we never thought we’d see her again.’
The couple picked up Molly last Friday. Mr Berry said: ‘When we got there they told us to be prepared because she was in a bad way. She’s been very badly treated. She’s got scars all over her face, rotten teeth and she’s very underweight. It makes us so angry, whoever took her had no right.’
‘When she saw us I don’t think she knew what was going on but it didn’t take long and she was licking my face. I knew she recognised me.’
Mrs Berry said Molly had settled back in at home straight away, adding: ‘She just came and sat on the sofa like Queen Bee. Even though she’s been badly treated she’s still her loving self. She just wants to have a cuddle. It’s going to be a long journey to nurse her back to health but she’s getting all the love and care she needs.’
Police have been unable to trace the thief. Molly’s puppies have not been found.