Mooch went missing on 22/4/13. We suspected he had been stolen from the very beginning. I have been in contact with the dog warden throughout, we contacted the police, vets, pet shops, kennels, the pound, delivered leaflets, put up posters and spread the word all over Facebook. There was no news.
On 24/5/13. Mooch was recognised by my friends husband. My friend and I knocked the door. The police attended and all I had with me at the time was a leaflet with an inch square picture of Mooch on. They agreed that the dog looked very similar to the picture, but without a microchip there was nothing they could do and it would have to be put down to experience. I was absolutely gutted.
The dog warden attended the police station and was told the same.
The people he is with say that they ‘bought’ him. I find this hard to believe. Though it is possible that they bought a stolen dog. They showed the police a receipt. A receipt that could have been written or made by anyone. I could make a receipt now and it would mean nothing. Was the receipt genuine? Did the receipt have a genuine name and address on it? I don’t know it wasn’t checked. The fact that they had dogs circled in a newspaper is also apparently proof.
If Mooch was bought… they said from Newport for £400 which changed to Merthyr for £450. I find it extremely hard to believe that he was stolen, taken to either of these places and then advertised and ended up back in Barry with a family that is well known to the police. Also if he was advertised and bought by these people, HOW did no-one else, none of the hundreds of people who knew Mooch was missing, hundreds of people who had seen his pictures in Barry and beyond NOT one of them saw the advert. Only these people? It doesn’t make sense.Yet there is NOTHING the police can do.
The dog I saw that day was definately my dog. I know my dog the same as you would recognise your child or your beloved pet. I will never forget the look in his eyes that day, it will stay with me forever.
I can proove Mooch belongs to me. Yes I regret with all my heart not getting him chipped. But he was so small and I had heard so any horror stories with chips and small dogs that I was too scared to do it. Mooch was with us always, I never would have imagined something so awful could have happened.
Mooch is KC registered, I have his paperwork, pedigree, detailed pictures, full support of his breeder who he lived with for 18mths, so she is able to ID him. I have vaccination records and reports. We can even get DNA from his mother to proove who he is if required.
UPDATE ** The police informed me that after visiting the property on 29th May that Mooch had been ‘sold’ on. There is no further information. Mooch is still missing, not home where he belongs. So the search continues…**
UPDATE FROM OWNER:- 14TH JULY’13.
I am still in shock, I can’t quite believe he’s here this morning, its a bit like a dream!! I didnt think we’d see his cheeky little face again! Yesterday was a bit strange.
We recieved a phonecall from an unknown number yesterday morning. It was a man in Merthyr who asked me if my dog that was missing had a funny habit. I wasnt sure what to think, or what to say. He said he had bought a dog at a car bootsale in Leckwith Cardiff, last weekend. His daughter had recognised him from the posters online,so he phoned. He didn’t leave his number and said he would phone back a bit later. I was in shock? What was going on? Last thing I expected on a Saturday morning.
I have a friend in Merthyr who knew Mooch, so asked her if she would mind going to see if it was actually Mooch for me, as I had all 5 kids here and Merthyr is about an hour away.
The man phoned back an hour or so later and I gave him my friends number so she could meet him. He got in touch with her and met her in the street in Merthyr. She sent pictures to my mobile. It was Mooch!! I was shaking and crying looking at the photos! He looked a bit different and very scared with his ears back, but it was him!!
We paid £300 to the man, which was a bit less than he said he had paid for him last week. He gave him back. When he got in the car with my friend, his ears went back up and the terrified look was gone from his face. I don’t know how much truth is in the story, as it was all a bit dodgy to be honest but I dont care anymore. He’s home!
My friend took him back to her house in Merthyr, then me, my mum and Elsie went to collect him. The feeling of seeing him when he had been missing so long was overwhelming. I cried like a baby and Elsie could hardly speak she was so happy.
Mooch himself is fine. He has over grown nails, missing a dew claw where they were long so must have caught on something, and he is quite thin. But other than that he is fine. All of what he has been through and he so forgiving, so loving and friendly still.
It is upsetting to think about what the poor little guy must have been through, how many homes and people he has seen in the 12 weeks that he has been gone. I keep wondering how he was treated and what happened to him, what has he been through… I will never know. But the only thing I care about now is that he is home where he belongs and we are so, so happy!!
Thank you, Thank you, Thank you. I can’t tell you all how much I appreciate your continued support, all your wonderful messages, your sharing, and spreading the word. Thank you to all those who put up posters, especially around the area he was last seen. Thank you to the paper girl who delivered the local paper with Mooch leaflets in that area too. Just thank you all so much!! I can’t thank you all enough. I genuinely believe that without our persistence and making him too hot to handle, that we would not have him back now.
We are absolutely over the moon. I really can’t describe what it feels like seeing Mooch here this morning. The kids are so happy. I am going to give him a bath, cut his nails, feed him some good food, lots of love and cuddles and let him settle back in.
Thank you all again. Michelle, the girls and MOOCH!!!!! :) Xxx
IF YOUR DOG HAS GONE MISSING KEEP SHARING ON FACEBOOK, TWEETING AND POSTER, POSTER, POSTER! IT DOES WORK!
