A WHIPPET who disappeared from a Withiel Florey garden has been reunited with her owners - a week after going missing.

Alec and Sharon Dalgleish feared that Daisy, an 18-month-old brindle and white bitch, had been stolen from outside their home just off the B3224 between Wheddon Cross and Raleigh's Cross.

They contacted the Free Press to launch an appeal, offered a reward, posted details of the whippet on DogLost.co.uk - a national website for missing pets - and put up posters across a wide area.

And last Sunday they had the phone call they had been waiting for but had hardly dared believe would happen.

Their much-loved pet was being cared for by a family from Crewkerne who found her as they were returning home from holidaying in Devon.

"Apparently, they were driving through Wheddon Cross on the day she went missing when they saw her tied to a lamp post with baler twine," said Mr Dalgleish.

"They thought she had been left there by gipsies so they took her with them."

The following day they had Daisy checked out at their local vet to see if she was chipped.

And when they discovered she was not, they decided to keep her.

That might have been the last Mr and Mrs Dalgleish heard of their whippet had the man in the family not told his workmates about his new pet.

"Somebody he works with happened to be in Dulverton last Sunday and saw the posters," said Mr Dalgleish.

"He contacted the family and told them he had discovered who Daisy belonged to."

The family contacted Mr and Mrs Dalgleish the same day and they immediately drove to Crewkerne to retrieve Daisy.

"We are absolutely over the moon," said Mr Dalgleish. "She was in great condition and had been well cared for but she was very pleased to see us.

"I feel a bit sorry for the family who had her because they were quite sorry to see her go.

"But we are just so relieved to have her back and very grateful for everybody's help.

"We think she may have got into the road from the garden but we don't really know what happened from then.

"However, the main thing is that we have her back and that is a great result."

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A REWARD has been offered for the safe return of an elderly labrador who went missing from his Luxborough home over two weeks ago.

Yellow lab Wallace was last seen at 3pm on Monday, August 17 and his owner Jennifer Duke fears he may have been stolen.

She said: "He was last seen on the day of an accident on the Minehead to Williton road and all the traffic was diverted through Luxborough.

"With so many people coming through the village it is highly likely that someone picked him up."

She said Wallace - who has a distinctive pink nose - was ten-years-old and needed regular medication.

Mrs Duke said: "I understand that several dogs have gone missing from the area recently and are thought to have been stolen.

"Wallace is very much missed. He needs to be home as he is on regular medication."

Anyone with information on the whereabouts of Wallace can contact Mrs Duke on 01984 640144.