A dog stolen from her owner’s front garden five years ago has been returned home all grown up.
French bulldog, Roxie, was just 18 weeks old when she was taken from outside Shona Macleod’s house in March 2017.
Dog lover, Shona, was left distraught by the theft of her beloved pet and appealed for information from members of the public.
But years passed with no news and she accepted she would never see her adorable pooch again.
Then earlier this month a council officer turned up at Shona’s front door with Roxie on a lead.
The now fully grown pooch had been 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 pooch 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.
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."
