Family reunited with pet dog six months after he was stolen in Wyre Forest
A teenager has been reunited with her beloved pet dog – six months after he was snatched from their garden in the West Midlands.
Bobby the Shih-Tzu and Westie cross was stolen from the family's garden in Stourport, in Wyre Forest, in May when he was just six-months-old.
But thanks to a family Facebook appeal and West Midlands Police determination, Bobby was returned to 13-year-old Cerys by officers on Wednesday.
Cerys was left devastated when her four-legged friend was snatched from the garden earlier this year and family and friends set up a Facebook group appealing for his safe return. They also put up posters in their local for information on the puppy's whereabouts, but six months on there was still no word.
The family even wrote to the Duchess of Cornwall who sent them a personal letter sympathising with their distress.
But, then an organisation called 'Dogs on the Street' contacted West Midlands Police last week after receiving information that Bobby could be the same dog seen with a beggar posing as a rough sleeper in Birmingham city centre.
Officers out on patrol in Birmingham and partners from the Retail Bid, working with City Safe, kept an eye out for the puppy and he was found on Wednesday – a little overgrown and dirty, but healthy.
They wasted no time in ensuring that it was Bobby the dog, by checking his microchip, and then contacted Cerys' family to arrange their reunion.
Cerys cried tears of joy as Bobby looked more than happy to be home.
Sergeant Julia Slater, from West Midlands Police, said: "In my 26 years police service it was one of the most rewarding moments ever."
