A Chihuahua missing for seven years has been reunited with its owners after police found him while hunting a suspect.
Chewy vanished from his home in Batley, West Yorks, in 2016 but he has now been found seven years after he went missing.
PC Kirsty Stanley and PC Jacob Wood found the pooch on January 18 while searching a house for a wanted man.
They found Chewy alone in the property and became immediately suspicious after talking to neighbours about the vague circumstances of when the suspect got him.
Not wanting to leave the pooch behind, they took him to a local vets and found out he was registered missing from a home in Batley.
An initial chat with the owners quickly established Chewy was indeed their missing dog, and he was delivered back to them shortly afterwards
Kirsty has said she and Jacob are ‘so glad’ the story had a ‘really happening ending.’
She said: “We join policing to help people and both Jacob and I were so glad this was a story with a really happy ending.
“It was fantastic to take Chewy back to his owners and see the looks on their faces when they saw him after so long.
“As we asked more about Chewy and who we could leave him with, we both thought something just didn’t ring true about him being in that house.
“Instead we went to a local vets and found that fortunately he had been microchipped.
“He’s a lovely little thing and it’s good to see him back at home where he belongs.”
Inspector David Bates said: “This is a truly heart warming story and I’m really pleased with both my officers whose thoroughness has brought some wonderful news for a family to start 2023 with.
“It also really highlights the importance for dog and cat owners of having their pets microchipped at their vets.
“This case really does go to show that even if a pet is missing for years there is a chance he or she can find their way home.”
