Hearing dog taken by car thieves is found

A specially-trained hearing dog taken by thieves when they stole her owner's car has been found safe and well, and has now been reunited with her master.

Partially-deaf Peter Ward said he was lost without his beloved border collie Soot, who he has had for the past eight years.

Soot, who was returned yesterday after being found wandering in Sedgley, was inside Mr Ward's Land Rover Discovery when it was taken from the Tesco Hermitage Service Station in Low Town, Bridgnorth, on February 22.

Mr Ward, aged 52, from Chelmarsh, near Bridgnorth, said he was overcome with emotion when they were finally reunited.

Soot was found by a dog warden who recognised her after attending a routine call in Sedgley where a resident reported a stray dog.

"It's difficult to put into words how I felt when Soot was gone," said Mr Ward. "I was completely numb and it felt like the world had stopped. But now I have my life back.

"There were two fantastic organisations helping with the search, DogLost and Canine Search. They were convinced if we postered, leafleted and flyered, she would be handed over.

"I received a phone call from the Dudley dog warden asking for more information about her appearance at around 3pm yesterday and by 4pm we were reunited."

Soot allows Mr Ward to lead a normal life telling him when the phone rings, if someone is at the door and alerting him to traffic.

The pair had not been apart for the past eight years.

Mr Ward, a building conservationist, feared thieves may have dumped his dog and sold on the £10,000 of conservation equipment inside the vehicle, including a £4,000 Canon camera.

The thieves struck when Mr Ward left his vehicle outside the kiosk on the forecourt with the keys still inside.

The vehicle and other items have still not been recovered.

Mr Ward added: "The police believe there could be a lot more to the crime and they are still investigating. At this stage I don't know who had Soot. But it is clear she was very well looked after.

"She was fed, she had been cleaned and she was totally unharmed which is the main thing."