Family plea for return of stolen pets

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Family plea for return of stolen pets

ByPeter Swift

A DISTRAUGHT grandmother is appealing for help in tracing three border terriers stolen from her home.

Janet Laycock, aged 58, returned to discover that five-year-old Holly and her two young pups had been taken from their kennels.

"The whole family is just devastated. The house is like a morgue," she said.
Molly, a former showdog, had been Mrs Laycock's companion and mainstay since the death of her husband Martin from cancer at the age of 58 last June.

Her grandson Reece, aged three, is on dialysis and waiting for a kidney transplant.

She described Reece and her other grandson John, aged 11, as inconsolable.
"They were dearly loved pets. Holly especially was like my shadow, a part of the family." said Mrs Laycock.

She does not feel that the dogs were taken by opportunists passing by as the kennels are impossible to see from the road.

The three dogs were particularly attractive to thieves as they are pedigrees. Molly is a former show dog and the pups had been fathered by a winner in two categories at Crufts.

However, this means it will be difficult for the thieves to sell them as all pedigree dogs require registration papers from the Kennel Club.

People should be suspicious of anyone offering a pedigree dog for sale without such papers.

Kathy Kay, Branch Administrator of Bolton RSPCA advises dog owners to get their dog microchipped.

"Unfortunately this sort of thing is on the increase and their are cases of people stealing pedigree dogs to order. You can get your dog microchipped for £5 if your not working and £10 if you are. We have to make it harder for these people to sell the dogs on."

Mrs Laycock is offering a reward of £500 for return of the dogs and requests anyone with information to contact her on 07986 613097.

"We are not giving up hope. If anyone knows anything please come forward."
1:12pm Tuesday 19th December 2006