Missing dog from Cirencester reunited with owners by officers

Officers have reunited a golden retriever puppy with her rightful owners after she went missing from Cirencester.

The 10-month-old pooch called Bluebell went missing from her owner's garden yesterday morning, Wednesday 16 March. 

Her owner posted an appeal on Facebook to try and locate the missing dog and from that information was provided and then given to police.

This afternoon, Thursday 17 March, officers attended an address in Bourton-on-the-Water in the Cotswolds and located Bluebell inside the property.

A woman at the address, aged in her 30s, was subsequently arrested on suspicion of theft.

Enquiries are ongoing to establish how Bluebell ended up there and the woman remains in police custody.

PS Antony Mee and PC Daniel Rugg had attended the property and PC Amy Priest (pictured below) then reunited Bluebell with her ecstatic and thankful owners a short while later.

Anyone who has any information which could help the ongoing investigation is asked to provide information to police online, by completing the following form and quoting incident 199 of 16 March: https://www.gloucestershire.police.uk/contact/af/contact-us/us/a-crime-that-has-already-been-reported/   

Monday 14 March was the launch of the national Pet Theft Awareness week. 

Gloucestershire's Police and Crime Commissioner Chris Nelson launched a survey earlier this week looking into pet theft in the county. The survey aims to help provide intelligence to the Constabulary to tackle dog theft.

Last year Gloucestershire Constabulary was the first police force to use DNA to help tackle dog thefts. The scheme, known as DNA Protected, uses a DNA marker system that has been developed for forensic analysis to help investigate criminal cases involving the theft of dogs.

DNA Protected products are available to the public to purchase on our neighbourhood engagement vehicles which travel around the county.

Survey available here: https://wh1.snapsurveys.com/s.asp?k=164458700361