Daisy, who is now a 13-year-old labrador, was reunited with her delighted owners after she was stolen from their Norfolk garden in 2017.
Rita (80) and Philip Potter (88), the elderly Labrador’s owners, could not contain their emotions when the RSPCA returned Daisy back to them on February 6, at their home in Old Buckenham, after they spent eight years searching and praying for her safe return.
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Since her homecoming, Daisy has undergone veterinary treatment including operations on her enlarged mammary glands, a cyst on her eye and cysts in her neck.
Daisy was reunited with her family – in a moment caught on a heart-warming video (below) – after she was discovered by RSPCA Inspector Kim Walters during routine investigations in Weston-Super-Mare on February 2. She came across Daisy and was concerned about her condition as she could see she had a number of untreated mammary masses.
It was in November 2017 when Daisy’s callous theft made news headlines – after witnesses saw her taken from her garden by suspected back-yard breeders who bundled her into a truck parked outside their home, which then sped off.
The couple reported the matter to the police but the vehicle – which is believed to have had false number plates – could not be traced.
She is now recovering well and remembers her doting owners, who are putting her back into her old routine and her love of belly rubs in the garden.
Rita said: “Daisy coming back home has filled a huge void in our hearts and I just can’t believe we have her with us again – it really is a miracle.
“We even get up in the night to check she is ok and still with us – she is so still and quiet we sometimes worry she has stopped breathing, but I think she just sleeps so well as she feels safe and secure and loved again.
“She is fascinated with the grass, I think wherever she had been kept it was void of grass and she loves rolling around on it and having a belly rub.
“In so many ways it is like she has never been away and she remembers her home and her comforts and she likes to snuggle.”
The RSPCA said Daisy’s amazing story shows the importance of having pets microchipped so if they are stolen or lost they can be reunited with their owners like in this case. It also highlights the issues of unscrupulous puppy dealers and the charity urges anyone thinking of buying a dog to consider adopting from a rescue centre.
An RSPCA spokesman said: “We’re currently in the midst of an animal welfare crisis with rescue centres overflowing and dogs of all ages and breeds waiting for loving new homes.
“The RSPCA would like to see better enforcement of licensing regulations of puppy breeders and sellers to ensure dogs are being bred with their health and welfare as a priority.”
The person who stole Daisy has not been traced and anyone with first-hand information can call the RSPCA on 0300 123 8018.
