Owner's heartbreak as puppy stolen from garden (From Tewkesbury Admag)

Owner's heartbreak as puppy stolen from garden

A WILLERSEY woman is devastated after a tiny puppy was stolen from her garden weeks before it should have left the comfort of its mother and litter.

The five-and-a-half week old black Labrador Retriever, worth £500, was taken from a secure pen in the front garden of her house in broad daylight last Wednesday.

An agreement had already been reached to sell the dog to a family in Nuneaton, who are now said to be beside themselves with worry for the tiny animal.

Owner Jane Organ said it was tragic for the pup to be taken from its mother at such a young age. "I am absolutely devastated and the prospective owners are terribly upset - they have never had a dog before and they were bowled over by the puppy and its mother, Mollie.

Mrs Organ is urging anyone with information about the theft to contact the police.

Matt Ford, spokesman for Gloucestershire police, said people should take care when leaving pedigree puppies outside. "They are often a target for thieves because they are easy to steal and are often of very high value."

Mrs Organ said that although she was near the pen when the pup disappeared she had not heard nor seen anything.

"We have a bed and breakfast so people are coming and going all the time. My 15-year-old son Jeremy was also just yards away from the pen but he didn't realise anything was happening either."

Anyone with information about the missing puppy is asked to call Gloucestershire police on 0845 0901234.