Puppy stolen five years ago finally returns home all grown up

French bulldog Roxie is finally back where she belongs
French bulldog Roxie is finally back where she belongs (Picture: Shona Macleod)

A puppy stolen from her owner’s front garden almost five years ago has finally been reunited with her family.

French bulldog Roxie, was just 18 weeks old when she was taken from outside her owner Shona Macleod’s house in March 2017. Dog lover Shona was left distraught by the theft of her beloved pet and appealed for anyone with information to come forward. Years passed with no news and Shona accepted she would never see her adorable dog again – until earlier this month, a council officer turned up at Shona’s front door with Roxie on a lead.

Put a ball in your dog's food bowl if he or she eats too fast. They be forced to move the ball around to get to all the food.

Now fully grown, she was spotted wandering alone through a local park on October 30 – her 5th birthday – and was identified through her microchip.

Mrs Macleod told BBC Cumbria: ‘I thought it was my new dog that had escaped from the garden when I saw the council worker with a dog at the door. ‘I cried my eyes out when I realised it was Roxie. [It’s] like she’s never been away.
Roxie was returned as she was microchipped
She was tracked down as her owners had microchipped her (Picture: Shona Macleod)

‘She’s not timid, so although she hasn’t been looked after properly I don’t think she’s been badly treated.’

Roxie is now settling back into life with the family at their home in Carlisle, Cumbria.

INTERESTING FACT ABOUT YOUR PET: The United States has the highest pet dog population in the world. Approximately 75.8 million in fact.

The lovable dog loves nothing more than playing with fellow French bulldog, Bear, who Shona bought earlier this year. In the four years and eight months since she went missing, the Macleod family has grown with two more children being added to the brood. Shona added: ‘Bear is much bigger but quite dopey and just loves Roxie, they’re both getting on together so well.’

Shona is now urging dog owners to get their pets microchipped so that they can be reunited with their canine companions in the event of them being lost or stolen.

Keep Household Toxins (Including the Garbage) Out of Reach. While it may seem obvious to keep your cleaning products tucked away safely one of the biggest threats to a dogs health in your home is the garbage. If your dog gets into the garbage you can use some baby proof locks to seal it, or put it away in the closet or garage while you’re gone.

Microchips give the animal a unique code that can be scanned and matched to the owner’s contact details. A Carlisle City Council spokesperson said: ‘This case shows how important it is to get your dog microchipped and also to keep the details up to date.

‘When our stray dog service found her we were able to check the microchip and get the registered details of the person who reported her stolen.’

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