Becky Parsons, from Erdington in Birmingham, had no reason to suspect that there was an issue with her dog sitter. She had used the sitter three times without experiencing any problems and so was happy to use her services again. But while Becky was on holiday, her dogs disappeared and now police suspect foul play.
Five dogs disappear in Staffordshire
It is thought that at least five dogs disappeared when being walked by the sitter in Staffordshire. Two of the missing pooches are Pablo and Maggie, the treasured pets of Becky Parsons. Police are investigating the case to ascertain whether a crime has been committed.
Gone with a bang
The dog sitter has claimed that she was walking the dogs along a towpath near Tamworth when she heard a loud noise and fell over in shock. The dogs bolted and when she got up, they were nowhere to be seen. Three of the dogs were pugs including a dog belonging to a friend of Becky Parsons who has issues with its legs and so cannot run. Becky doesn't feel that the dog sitters' story is credible. The other dogs involved were a jug and a French Bulldog. In other words, similar breeds.
Distraught owners offer £5k reward
The owners of the missing dogs are distraught and have come together to offer a £5K reward for the safe return of their pets. They have searched extensively in the area where the dogs went missing but no trace of the animals has been found. The police have confirmed that they are treating the incident as theft. April Lock, owner of missing pooches Ralph and Charlie commented, "We are desperate to get our babies home. They are not just dogs, they are part of our lives that have been left shattered. ""We are heartbroken and we won't stop searching until they are home. "The owners feel that it is highly unlikely that five dogs would vanish into thin air after such a brief and simple incident.
French bulldog on the missing list
The French Bulldog which has disappeared is called Jack and is owned by James Egan who was using the sitter for the first time. He was taking a weekend break but just hours after his return, was told that his much-loved pal had run away. James can't believe what has happened, especially as the sitter was recommended to him by other dog walkers. James initially felt sorry for the dog sitter but soon began to sense that her story didn't add up. The sitter was rather vague in her explanation of the incident leading to the dogs running off.
Drone used to search for missing pooches
The dog owners are trying everything they can think of to locate their dogs including the use of a drone to scan the entire area. In addition, the army will be incorporating a search for the dogs into their training exercises. It is extremely suspicious that five dogs would all run off and not return, even when their owners visited the area and called them. If the dogs had simply been spooked, surely they would have been found somewhere close by. What do you think?