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.Many dogs have a condition nicknamed “Frito Feet,” in which their feet smell little bit like corn chips. As Matt Soniak wrote in a Big Question on this site, this has to do with the kind of bacteria found on a pup’s feet, and “could be due to yeast or Proteus bacteria. Both are known for their sweet, corn tortilla–like smell. Or it could be Pseudomonas bacteria, which smell a little fruitier—but pretty close to popcorn to most noses.”
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.
‘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.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.’INTERESTING FACT ABOUT YOUR PET: Man’s best friend? Petting a dog and gazing into their eyes releases oxytocin (i.e the “love hormone”) not only for you, but for them as 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.
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.A Safe Place. Creating a safe place for your pet is crucial to its comfort. Make sure your pet has its own place of comfort where it can rest, relax and feel secure.
‘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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