Jimbob's return proves every dog has its day
Published date: 24 October 2012 |
Published by: Hayley Collins
A DOG breeder has been reunited with her beloved bulldog – almost 18 months after he was cruelly snatched.
Margaret Williams, 71, was left heartbroken when, in May 2011, thieves broke into her home in Dobshill and stole five-year-old bitch Lucy and five-month-old puppy Jimbob.
After making an impassioned plea through the Leader for her dogs’ safe return, Margaret was reunited with Lucy four days later.
Lucy was found wandering in Helsby, but there was no trace of Jimbob.
Margaret said never a day went by when she did not think of Jimbob, but on Saturday her prayers were answered when she got a call from a micro-chipping company to say he had been found wandering the streets of Holywell.
She said: “I’m absolutely over the moon. I just couldn’t stop crying when I was told he had been found.
“When your dog goes missing, you just don’t know what’s happened to it. You don’t know if it’s dead or alive, there’s no closure.
“I was always thinking about him and wondering where he was and if he was being looked after.”
Jimbob, who is now almost two years old, was traced back to Margaret by his microchip and was returned on Saturday.
And for Margaret there was no question it was her dog.
“I recognised him straight away,” she said.
“Apart from his markings of course, the one thing that does give him away is his tail.
He hasn’t got a bulldog tail, it sticks up in the air when they usually lie flat.”
Jimbob has now been checked over by a vet and apart from a few cuts and scrapes and being slightly underweight, he is in good health.
He is now settling back into his old home and has met his new playmates – bulldog puppy Rosie and French bulldog pup Rene.
Margaret, who has 10 bulldogs, added: “I’m not sure if he remembered but he came straight up to me wagging his tail.
“He is very quiet and has spent most of the time on the couch, but he’ll be getting lots of love now.”
It is not the first time Margaret has been targeted by thieves.
Bulldog Lucy was snatched twice in six months last year, but was fortunately returned both times after being traced by her microchip.
Margaret, who has been breeding dogs for more than 20 years and is the secretary of Manchester and Counties Bulldog Club, added: “It is a very good advertisement for microchipping.”
It is believed Jimbob had been sold on to a family in Holywell and had escaped before being picked up by the dog warden.
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