Dognapped: Motorbike thieves caught on camera grabbing a 16-week-old puppy from under owners' noses

By Stephanie Darrall


Stolen: Alfie was snatched in front of his owners by two men on a motorbike


Cruel thieves were caught on CCTV as they snatched a 16-week-old puppy while its owners who were standing just 10ft away before making off on a motorbike.

The footage shows adorable spaniel Alfie gazing in to the camera lens as he is wedged between the two men in bike helmets

Owners Pauline and Ian Parsons, both 45, and their daughters Ashleigh, 18, and Jordanne, 16 from Brierley Hill, West Midlands, said they were 'heartbroken' by the loss of their beloved pet.


Mrs Parsons said: 'It happened just ten feet from where we were standing.

'One of the men just jumped off and grabbed him by the neck.

'It was over in literally a matter of seconds. We have only had him 10 weeks, we are gutted.'


Dog thieves: The dognappers are caught on CCTV after stealing Alfie


The puppy was with Pauline at the franchise the family run, Metal Supermarket in a trading estate in West Bromwich, West Midlands, when motorcyclists stopped.

One of them leapt off the bike and grabbed the dog from a play pen before the pair sped off.

Mrs Parsons said the thieves were wearing distinctive helmets - one had a black star with silver lining while the bike they were riding was a scrambler-type machine with yellow wheels.

She said: 'Alfie is a pedigree, and he's only 16 weeks old.

'We have never had a puppy before. We decided to get one because we could take him to work with us.

'It felt like having a little baby when we first got him, and now it feels like we've lost a baby.'

'He's just gorgeous and a brilliant dog, really clever

'The customers really took to him - he's a real character. Everybody turned soft when they saw him - even the biggest blokes were reduced to mush when they saw him.'

She said the family were so desperate to get their dog back that they were offering a reward for information leading to the pet's return.

The puppy is a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, worth about £400 and has a distinctive marking on his muzzle - half his top lip is brown while the other half is white.

A spokesman for West Midlands Police, Brigg Ford, said police were appealing for information on the theft or the whereabouts of the dog.


source:dailymail

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Foster mutt: Rottweiler plays mother to orphaned bunnies, birds... and even kittens

By JAMES TOZER

Dave the rottweiler has helped bring up four ducks, three geese, five rabbits, 13 kittens and five puppies - plus countless new-born chicks


You probably wouldn’t pick a ten-stone rottweiler to nursemaid orphaned bunnies and birds. But even kittens are in no danger from Dave the Dog. All he wants to do is look after them.

Owner Amanda Collins discovered her six-year-old pet’s maternal nature when she brought home an unwanted French giant rabbit.

‘Dave just walked over to him and started licking him to clean him,’ said the 25-year-old, who runs a pet shop in Blackpool.

‘They bonded straight away. Now they sleep together, and I’ve even seen them sharing each other’s food.’

Miss Collins, who has looked after a menagerie of abandoned animals, soon found this wasn’t a one-off.

'When I brought home the ducklings, I thought he might not be the same as with the rabbits, but he just went over to them and licked them on the head,' she said..

'I filled a paddling pool with water so they could learn to swim in it, and Dave went and laid down in the water so they could clamber over him. He even lifted them out if they got into trouble.'

So far, Dave has helped bring up four ducks, three geese, five rabbits, 13 kittens and five puppies - not to mention countless new-born chicks.

Dave had a traumatic upbringing – his first owner docked his tail with a cleaver – but has remained amazingly good-natured and has now been voted Britain’s most inspirational dog in a contest sponsored by worming specialists Drontal.

The online contest attracted over 6,000 entries and 265,515 votes were cast.

And six-year-old Dave's owner hopes his success will help improve the breed's image.

'People see him coming and cross the road to the other side - it's so sad,' said Miss Collins.

'Most rottweilers aren't big vicious things - they can be very gentle and obedient if they're looked after and trained properly, and Dave is the perfect example of that.'

source: dailymail

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