“I thought I’d never see my dogs again”
Thieves got more than they bargained for after stealing five spaniels and 17 puppies from a Swansea-based specialist dog trainer and breeder in January.
The callous crooks hadn’t reckoned on the sleuthing skills of owner, former RAF policeman Tony Cronin, who managed to track down all his dogs after a tip-off.
But not only did 63-year-old Tony recover Sprockers Willow, a digital search dog, and drug detection dog Annie, Springer Spaniels Gwen, Dora, and Whisper and two litters of puppies, but he stumbled across more than 70 other stolen pets too.
The puppy farm in Carmarthenshire was really well hidden, but as Tony drove up the track, he was met by a large group of dogs.
“It was snowing hard but right in the middle of the pack of barking Westies, Labradors, Pugs — all breeds — I spotted Annie, who looked like a dirty little rag.
She was wet, covered in mud, shivering, and terrified. I called her and she ran 400mph towards me and leapt into my arms.”
Tony whistled for Willow and recognised her bark, finding her shut inside a 2ft x 2ft box “you wouldn’t put a chicken in”.
Although Tony lost one of his puppies from an infection and Whisper remains traumatised, his other dogs have since recovered from their ordeal.
“I was so, so relieved to find them that I cried like a baby,” added Tony, who has stepped up his home security. “I thought I’d never see my dogs again and can’t thank Dyfed-Powys Police enough for what they did on the day.”