Dog lover who spent four years looking for her missing pedigree Mickey sues family who found and kept him
Tracy Minor had been looking for dog Mickey since it went missing in 2011
Last year kennel staff phoned 46-year-old to tell her Mickey had been found
But she was told dog was being claimed by the family who had found it
Mrs Minor, from Nottingham, is suing family over the micropchipped dog
A dog lover who spent four years looking for her missing pedigree dog is suing the family who found and kept him.
Tracy Minor was over the moon when kennel workers phoned her in November last year to report that her beloved dog Mickey had been found after four years.
Officials had found the £500 dog wandering the streets, just two miles from where he went missing in 2011, and traced him back to Mrs Minor through his microchip.
But the 46-year-old was later told she could not have her pet back – because another family was claiming to own the dog.
Dog lover Tracy Minor (left) is suing the family who found her lost £500 pedigree pooch (right) because council officers allowed them to keep the pet instead +5
Tracy Minor was over the moon when kennel workers phoned to report that her beloved dog Mickey (pictured) had been found after four years +5
Dog lover Tracy Minor (left) is suing the family who found her lost £500 pedigree pooch (right) because council officers allowed them to keep the pet instead
It later emerged that, after Mickey went missing in 2011, the lhasa Apso dog had been found by another family, who had been looking after the little animal for several years.
The family then apparently insisted that they had a right to the dog. Even when Mrs Minor dug out all the documentation proving she had bought the pedigree in 2007, council officials still refused to acknowledge she was the owner.
After trying to resolve the matter with the other family and the council, Mrs Minor has now instructed lawyers to pursue the matter in court.
She said: ‘When they told us they were giving Mickey to the other family it broke my heart for a second time. I know the other family have been looking after him but he’s my dog.
‘I am being punished for me doing the right thing and them doing the wrong thing.
‘It’s been so stressful and I just don’t know what else to do now so I have instructed a solicitor to take the matter to a civil claims court.’
She added: ‘I am baffled by the council decision. What’s the point of having dogs microchipped if people just ignore the system?’
The dog had first gone missing from Mrs Minor’s ex-husband’s back garden in June 2011 while her daughter Georgia, then aged seven, was staying there.
Despite putting up lost posters, scouring the streets and notifying the local dog kennels and police, Mrs Minor had no luck finding Mickey.
Then, in November last year, Mrs Minor received a phone call, saying the dog had been found close to where he went missing.
But, it later transpired, shortly after disappearing in 2011, the dog had been found by a man who later gave the dog to his niece, Teresa Moore. She had been looking after the animal since 2013.
Mrs Minor said: ‘When Mickey disappeared in 2011 he had a collar with my number on it. I don’t believe enough was done at the time to find us. I think they purposefully have kept my dog.
‘They shouldn’t be able to get away with taking my property. It’s theft by finding, but the police aren’t interested.’
Gedling Borough Council involved confirmed they have no record of the dog being reported as found in 2011.
A spokesman said: ‘Based on the welfare of the animal, we made a decision to return it to the person who could reasonably show that they were the most recent owner.
‘We facilitated for the two parties involved to discuss the matter and are satisfied that, under uncommon circumstances, we’ve taken the correct action.
‘The ownership of the dog is now a civil matter between the people involved.’
Under the Environmental Protection Act 1990 by law people must return a lost dog to its owner if known or report it to the local authority.
Mrs Moore declined to comment on the matter when contacted.
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3465796/Dog-lover-goes-court-500-pedigree-pooch-council-gave-away-family-it.html#ixzz4J4yE7cMo
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MICKEY REUNITED ❤️ UPDATE FROM The Pet Detectives:-
Well he has been recovered and is now safe and well with his owners.
We have been working with Tracy since January and managed to get a National newspaper to cover Mickey’s story but the people who had him refused to do the right thing and return him to his rightful owner.
Facing a long and expensive legal battle Tracy and her family did what any loving dog owner would do. They went round to the house where Mickey was being kept and demanded his return.
Things got a little bit heated – the police were called – and justice and common sense prevailed.
It has been a long four-and-a-half years since Mickey was taken but Tracy never gave up hope that one-day they would be reunited.
A big THANK YOU goes out to Nottinghamshire police
The Pet Detectives
Microchipping your pet is not a guarantee you will be reunited with your precious pet, this needs to change!
