Tears as dog thieves steal little Poppy's pet pooch

Sep 21 2009 by Jeff Holmes, Paisley Daily Express

A HEARTBROKEN little girl has pleaded for the return of her beloved pedigree pooch after it was stolen from outside her home.

Four-year-old Poppy Cowden hasn’t stopped sobbing since her furry friend Yoda – who is worth hundreds of pounds – vanished.

It is feared the nine-month-old Lhasa Apso has been snatched to order as an eagle-eyed neighbour spotted a couple bundling a dog into a silver sports car.

Poppy’s mum, Sharon, has handed out leaflets and posters near the family home in Lochfield Road, Paisley, in a desperate bid to get Yoda back but has had no success.

Sharon told the Paisley Daily Express: “We all just love Yoda to bits. Since he went missing, Poppy hasn’t stopped asking where he is but I haven’t had the heart to tell her the truth, although I know I’ll have to.”

Yoda vanished from the family home while Sharon was attending to Poppy, who had been unwell.

“It all happened in a matter of minutes,” said Sharon. “I had just let Yoda out the back when Poppy started calling me from upstairs.

“She hadn’t been well and was sick all over the place but, by the time I attended to her and got back downstairs, Yoda was gone.

“I produced leaflets and posters in the hope that I could find out what happened to him and, as a result, I received an anonymous call to say that a young couple had been spotted putting a dog into a silver sports car directly outside my house.

“It frightens me to think that someone might have been watching my house so they could snatch my dog.”

Sharon has also learned that, around the time Yoda went missing, a man knocked on her neighbour’s door to ask who Yoda belonged to.

She added: “This man was told that the dog belonged to me and he said to my neighbour that he would call round to my house. My doorbell works perfectly well but this man did not come round.

“My neighbour noticed that he was driving a black 4x4 vehicle and the person who called me also said there was a black 4x4 parked next to the silver sports car. We live just next to Lochfield Primary School so, hopefully, someone will have noticed some sort of unusual activity.”

Sharon has had Yoda – who is a full pedigree dog – since he was born and describes him as “great natured.”

She added: “Because Poppy is so young, we did quite a bit of research into what type of dog we should get and a Lhasa Apso seemed the best bet.

“They are small and good-natured and are the perfect choice as a family pet. Now I just hope we get him back.

“There’s a reward on offer for information which will lead to Yoda’s safe return.”

The Lhasa Apso is a non-sporting dog which originates from Tibet. It was bred in Buddhist monasteries to alert monks to intruders.

Lhasa is the capital city of Tibet and apso is a word from the Tibetan language meaning bearded.

Young Lhasa Apso dogs normally sell for around £500.

If you have any information concerning the whereabouts of Yoda – who is black and beige in colour – call Jeff Holmes in the Express newsroom on 0141 847 8638.

Alternatively, ring Sharon on 0779 986 7404 or the DogLost organisation, in confidence, on 0844 800 3220, quoting 19858.