Telegraph appeal brings Blackburn toddler's beloved pet dog home (From Lancashire Telegraph)

Telegraph appeal brings Blackburn toddler's beloved pet dog home

1:00pm Thursday 14th March 2013 in News

A DOG snatched from a Blackburn home has been returned to her delighted owners.

After an appeal in the Lancashire Telegraph, the owners of Roxy, a blue Staffordshire bull terrier, received a call from somebody who thought they may have bought her.

Relieved owner Carla Smith said her two-year-old son Finlay had been devastated when his beloved pet went missing, but was now overjoyed.

And the 20-year-old thanked Lancashire Telegraph readers for the support they had shown.

She said: “It is unbelievable.

“You would not believe how happy we are.

“My little boy was kissing and cuddling her when we brought her back.”

Roxy was allegedly taken from the kitchen while Finlay and his mum were playing in another room at their home in Rothesay Road in the Shadsworth area of the town.

The three-year-old dog has a mange infection on her head and needs daily antibiotics to stop her losing her fur, so it was imperative she was reunited with her doting owners as soon as possible.

Miss Smith said she received a telephone call from a man in Clayton-le-Moors who said he had bought a dog matching Roxy’s description.

She said: “Somebody called us and said they had seen the article in the Telegraph.

“They said they had bought the dog for £50.

“I went to collect her and I was so happy when I saw her.

“The police now have all of the details.”

A £100 reward had been offered for help or information to find her and a kind-hearted Lancashire Telegraph reader had also pledged a further £50 to the fund.

A spokesman for Lancashire Police said: “We have been made aware that the dog has been returned.

“We are still investigating and we will be making some more inquiries.”