A DISTRAUGHT dog-owner was this week appealing for any possible clues after her pedigree Labrador retriever disappeared from a parked pick-up truck during an Exmoor shoot last Saturday and is feared to have been stolen.

A massive search by police, friends, neighbours, the charity DogLost, thermal imaging of the area, a poster campaign and posts on Facebook have all failed to reveal any information on the whereabouts of Marge.

The three-year-old black working gun dog was taking a rest in her owner’s Toyota Hilux pick-up, parked on the roadside of the A396 between Bridgetown and Coppleham after taking part in a morning shoot.

“Marge had not been well and it was her first day back at work,” said Mel Holley, whose husband, a head gamekeeper, organised the shoot.

“At lunchtime I put her in the truck, which has blacked-out windows, for a rest, and when I came back a short while later, the back of the vehicle was open and she had gone.

“Since then, there have been absolutely no sightings. It is as though she has disappeared into thin air and I am 99 per cent certain she has been stolen. My husband and I are absolutely heartbroken. Our dogs are our family and this is truly our worst nightmare.

“Marge is a friendly, lovely and obedient little dog and I can’t bear the thought of someone being unkind to her, or worse. She is microchipped and spayed and so is unsuitable for breeding, which is often the reason pedigree dogs are stolen. We want whoever has taken her to know that.

“We have been advised that the more publicity we can generate, the more difficult it will be for someone to sell Marge and so many people are now on the lookout for her.”

Mel, an NHS senior manager, who lives near Bridgetown, told the Free Press: “We have done everything in our power to let everyone know what has happened in the hope that someone saw something and will come forward.

“Everything about Marge’s disappearance is a mystery. We were parked about 200 yards from a house whose owners were working in the garden but they saw or heard nothing unusual.

“It would be completely out of character for Marge to have left the truck of her own accord and it would have been extremely difficult to open the back door from the inside.

“While Marge was in the truck, the shoot was only two fields away. Whatever happened must have occurred shortly after leaving the dog because someone driving past saw the back of the truck was open but thought nothing of it.”

Mel added: “Our dogs are a vital part of our lives. We get huge pleasure from their company and working them on shoots.

“I have appealed to everyone who might have been on Exmoor last Saturday – including walkers, cyclists and off-road motorcyclists – to come forward if they saw anything that might give a clue to what has happened to Marge.

“We are desperate to get her back. The worst part is just not knowing what has happened and having a terrible feeling that she is being ill-treated.”

An Avon and Somerset police spokesman said that the incident was being investigated and anyone with possible information on Marge’s whereabouts should contact the police, quoting reference number 5220235878.

Mel Holley can be contacted on 07791 547052.