Couple reunited with dog stolen more than seven years ago

Couple reunited with canine stolen much than 7 years agone (Image: RSPCA/PA Wire)

It was similar a “dream travel true” for Rita and Philip Potter, who were reunited with their dog 7 years aft it went missing.

The mates from Norfolk ne'er mislaid anticipation aft their dog, Daisy the Labrador, was stolen from their plot successful 2017.

The heartbreaking incidental sparked societal media appeals and a petition urging the authorities to bash much to tackle favored theft.

The canine was yet recovered by the RSPCA which shared the fantastic quality with the couple.

Daisy, present 13-years-old, was discovered much than 200 miles distant by Kim Walters, an RSPCA inspector who carried retired regular investigations successful Weston-super-Mare, Somerset connected February 2 and recovered the Labrador with untreated mammary masses.

Daisy the labrador, who was stolen successful 2017, is reunited with proprietor Rita (Image: RSPCA/PA Wire)

The inspector took Daisy to a vet and checked her microchip connected which she recovered interaction details for Mr and Mrs Potter.

The mates struggled to clasp backmost tears aft Daisy was returned to her erstwhile location successful Old Buckenham connected Thursday.

Mrs Potter, 80, said she and her hubby are “so, truthful grateful” for the RSCPA reuniting them with Daisy, adding their favored volition present beryllium fixed “lots of emotion and attention”.

She said: “We kept a photograph connected the mantlepiece and would look astatine it each time reasoning of her and wherever she mightiness be. So it is an implicit imagination travel existent that the RSPCA recovered her and person returned her to america – wherever she belongs – we are so, truthful grateful.

The mates struggled to clasp backmost tears aft Daisy was returned to her erstwhile location (Image: RSPCA/PA wire)

“We cognize she is aged present and has wellness issues but immoderate clip she has near she volition present beryllium surrounded by tons of emotion and attention.

“The full household was truthful excited to perceive the quality that my grandchildren went to bargain her toys and treats – she besides present has not conscionable 1 – but 2 comfy beds.”

Mr and Mrs Potter participated successful respective societal media and property appeals to find Daisy, which earned enactment from histrion Tom Hardy who reshared their post.

The mates besides campaigned for the authorities to bash much to tackle favored theft and acceptable up a petition which attracted much than 100,000 signatures.

In 2024, the Government passed the Pet Abduction Act instrumentality which could spot perpetrators look a maximum five-year situation sentence, a fine, oregon both.

Ms Walters, the inspector who recovered Daisy, said she was “a spot choked” aft reuniting the canine with her owners and urged anyone with accusation astir the theft to interaction the RSPCA oregon the police.

“I was a spot choked from listening to them and intelligibly however overmuch they loved her, truthful it was large telling them that we could get her backmost location soon erstwhile we had made definite she was acceptable capable to question and we had arrangements successful spot for the four-hour travel to instrumentality place, ” she said.

Andy Cook, behavioural payment advisor astatine the Brent Knoll Animal Centre, the RSPCA subdivision successful North Somerset wherever Daisy was cared for, said: “It seems Daisy has been utilized for backyard breeding and she has a fig of mammary masses, she has flimsy hep dysplasia and her overgarment was rather soiled erstwhile she came to america arsenic though she had not been groomed for galore years.

“She is rather aged for a Labrador astatine the property of 13 and we deliberation she is deaf, but she is adorable.

 “She truly is the sweetest miss and volition wag her process whenever she sees you but since she was stolen it is wide she has had a hard life.”