Hope is still not lost.

This story is told in the words of the distraught family who had Mylo taken from them.

"Mylo is a black whippet with a white patch on his chest and two white tips on the back toes and a small strip of white just below his bottom lip. He has a distinctive lump at the end of his tail – the end of his tail is not straight.

He was stolen from us on Sun May 22nd 2005 Our dogs comprise a rescue whippet bitch (Gyp), a whippet dog (Tigger), (father of Mylo) and a 3 year old Whippet (Jake) Mylo’s brother. They got loose that morning into the village of Little Birch near Hereford and we went after them in the 4x4 finding three of them almost immediately at the top of the village road. Mylo was missing. We subsequently discovered that they were followed slowly by a white transit van immediately before Mylo’s disappearance; witnessed by two girls riding their ponies that morning.

After two weeks advertising in local papers a call was received from a farmer’s wife in Hope under Dinmore (approx 10 miles away). She had seen children with a young black whippet whose families are in council houses on an estate and a white transit was seen there. A local friend went to investigate and immediately identified Mylo with the children. When we arrived later, we went to one of the houses and showed them posters with Mylo’s picture but could get no joy. We reported him stolen to the police but they called at the wrong house and the dog then disappeared from the area. Last sighting was June 3rd2005 at the petrol garage at Hope-under-Dinmore on a lead with the same children.

Recently we have been told that he may be with a family called Locke who is a large gypsy family in our area and we are continuing to try and locate members of this family who are involved with dogs. The name Leonard has also been mentioned in connection with Mylo. We have also contacted as many rescue centres as we can to circulate his photo and details just in case he turns up. Gypsies don’t often use vets and if anything should happen to him which means he is no longer of use, he may well just be dumped as so many of their dogs are. We would be so grateful if you could keep his details to hand and look out for Mylo for us. There is a large cash reward for any information which leads to his safe return and this would of course also apply to any rescue centre who can help.

We don’t want to give up looking for Mylo while we are unsure what situation he is in. If he is with a loving caring family, that is quite a different matter; Mylo and his wellbeing is our priority and it is the not knowing that is so horrible."

If you think you can help this family and Mylo please contact 01981 540013