Source: Battersea Dogs & Cats Home
Date:12 August 2011
A lost dog that was found in the wake of the Hackney riots has been reunited with his owner, after she saw an appeal about him on ITV London Tonight.
When two-year-old Staffordshire Bull Terrier Jake arrived at Battersea Dogs & Cats Home on Tuesday 9 August he didn’t have a collar and tag or microchip, so the charity had no way of tracing his owner. But on Thursday ITV London Tonight ran a story about the dog on their evening news programme, and he was spotted by owner Jade Hegarty from Lewisham.
When Jade came to collect him from Battersea on Friday, she revealed his real name was Major, and said he must have been terrified. “He is a loving, gentle boy, so he must have been petrified by the violence. He must have been so scared.”
Jade was shocked to see him on TV, as she had rehomed him to another family in Tooting on Monday. She explains: “I live in a small flat and have two rabbits, two dogs and two children and it was very crowded. I thought the best thing was to rehome him. I put an advert on Gumtree, and found a family in Tooting who had children and loved Staffies, and they seemed really nice.”
However when Jade called them to ask why Major was now at Battersea, the family said he had escaped. “They said he had chewed things in their house and escaped, and they didn’t seem to care that he was missing,” Jade said. “I completely regret giving him up, and I would never advise anyone to rehome a pet on Gumtree. I wish I’d just brought him to Battersea so they could find him a good home.”
Jade now believes that Major tried to escape from his new family, and was attempting to make his way back to Lewisham, but somehow got caught up in the Hackney unrest.
She adds: “He must have been very stressed to be in a new place, and just wanted to get home. I wonder what he saw during the disturbance in Hackney. He loves to raid the biscuit bin at home, so I just hope he didn’t try and loot any butchers!”
However now Jade and Major have been reunited, Jade has vowed never to give him up again and got him microchipped at Battersea, so they can be reunited if Major does go missing.
She says: “You don’t know what you’ve got until it’s gone, and he is the loveliest dog, I just wish I’d never given him up, but he’s not going anywhere now.”
Battersea is concerned that Major may be just one of the animals which has been affected by this week’s unrest throughout the UK, and is appealing for owners to ensure their dogs or cats are microchipped and have a collar and tag, so they can be swiftly reunited with their pets if there is any further disturbance.
The Home is advising any pet owner within the M25 to get in touch with the charity’s Lost Dogs & Cats Line if they have lost their pets. This service is the capital’s key rehoming service and has reunited thousands of dogs and cats with their owners since it was set up over 10 years ago.
Source: http://www.battersea.org.uk/about_us/whats_new/hackney_riot_reunite.html
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