A scruffy and scared dog found straying on a Ballymena street, has been reunited with her owner in Scotland a year after she was stolen from her garden.
A check on her microchip helped reveal that she had been reported stolen in May 2022 aged just four months, along with her brother Diego.
Somehow she had ended up in Co Antrim where she was picked up as a stray by council officers in Ballymena and today thanks to the detective work of dog warden, Nigel Devine, and the help of P&O Ferries, the little Bichon Frise is back in Glasgow with her rightful owner.
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Issy was found straying in the Doury Road of Ballymena last week, almost 150 miles away from home, and was reported to the council by a concerned member of the public.
She was picked up and a microchip check showed her registered owner to be Isabella Roden who had lived for months with the devastation of the theft.
Having given up hope of ever seeing her pets again, Isabella said she was stunned to receive a call from Nigel explaining that little Issy was safe and being cared for in Northern Ireland. With her chip registered and up to date, and the owner ID checked, the plan to reunited Issy and Isabella got underway.
And with the assistance of P&O Ferries, the dog warden and his little charge left Larne and crossed the Irish Sea before driving to Glasgow for an emotional handover last Saturday, May 13.
Isabella said: "Receiving the phone call from Nigel was incredible and I couldn't quite believe it and since then I have done nothing but think of my Issy coming home.
"Seeing the photos of her that Nigel sent to me, put my emotions all over the place and I still have hope that Issy’s brother Diego may also one day be returned to me. I am so grateful to Mid and East Antrim Borough Council for their vigilance.”
Nigel travelled to Scotland on Saturday to personally reunite the pair, and said: "I was delighted to be able to bring Issy back home to Isabella who was just so amazed and thankful to get her wee dog back after all this time.
"It is unbelievable that a wee stray found in Ballymena had been taken from Scotland, but it just shows how important it is to microchip pets and to report it immediately should they be lost or stolen.
"Now I’m determined to do my best to track down Diego next and hopefully get him back to Isabella too."
Prior to setting sail for Scotland, Issy was treated to a free pampering session by local dog groomer Christine Higgins of G8way Grooms, so she was looking her best heading home.
Nigel urged all dog owners to ensure both their dog licence and microchip details are kept up to date in case their pet is stolen, and that they report the theft to local police and the microchip company they are registered with.
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