A Scots woman is desperate to be reunited with her beloved dog for Christmas after the pooch went missing earlier this year.
Amy Hamilton, 28, from East Lothian, says Benji went missing when her mum took the dog out for a walk in June. The family have tried almost everything to find the jack russell terrier cross but have had no luck yet despite using drones and cameras.
Having initially thought he may have disappeared down a rabbit hole, Amy now fears someone may have taken the tiny dog, reports Edinburgh Live.
She has since put out a new social media appeal in the hope she will be able to spend Christmas with the beloved pooch in her first home.
Amy wrote : "Someone must know something.
"I think Benji's been picked up and taken. If I had found a body in the water or if I had found him stuck down the hole and he had passed away, at least I could grieve and move on.
"I think the past six months have just got harder. I thought maybe they would get easier, but they've actually gotten harder because I've not had any closure, I've not been able to accept what's happened, or grieve, or understand why or how someone could have taken him and how he is."
Amy is self-employed and runs her own dog-walking business in the local area.
She added: "I've been self employed now for eight years. I have this huge responsibility to look after these people's animals. I'm not glad it was my dog, but at the same time I am because this feeling I've had for these six months... I wouldn't wish that on a client, I wouldn't wish it on my enemies, to be honest.
"It's been an extremely hard time. And when people ask me how I am, I go, 'Yeah, I'm fine.' And then I think, no, I'm not, you know, I'm really struggling. I don't know how to answer somebody when they ask if I'm okay, because I'm not okay. But I don't want to ruin their day by getting upset in front of them and be a burden and it's tough. But you just get on with it."
Amy continued: "It's been the longest worst six months of my life without Benji, but whoever has him, they are just at the start of it. They could be thinking, 'oh we've only had him six months, lets see how he is in another six', and I already knew what he was like. I gave him the best life!"
After taking him on from a previous owner, she had looked after Benji for three and a half years, forming a very close bond together.
Amy said he had gone through a rough experience after his previous owner took him to be neutered.
She has struggled mentally through the whole process but has taken some solace in chatting to an animal psychic.
Amy said: "That's my form of counselling with the whole thing. And some people believe it, some people don't. But for me, it's a coping mechanism. It's my way of communicating with Benji, and Benji can communicate with me and it helps, it really does.
"I would do anything I possibly can to get this dog back and any little signs and little bits of information gives me hope."
After moving into her own home earlier this year, Amy says she still doesn't feel completely comfortable without her dog by her side.
She said: "Christmas is a huge deal to me. I think being in my new house and putting the Christmas tree up, I have personalised baubles and things and Benji's on a lot of them.
"I was looking at a fairly recent photos today on Instagram and Facebook of Benji last Christmas. And it's just really, really sad to feel like I'm going to be doing Christmas without him this year. I still have Christmas presents for him. I'm still being hopeful that he will come home."
Anyone with information can get in touch with Amy at on Facebook.
Don't miss the latest news from around Scotland and beyond - Sign up to our daily newsletter here.
READ NEXT:
Mum's Strep A terror as son left fighting for life after 'sore leg' sparked diagnosis
Six-year-old boy remains in hospital after lake fall as firefighters lay tributes to victims
Scots carer struck off after police sting snared him trying to groom child
