Home at last: Stolen Halifax dog reunited with ‘ecstatic’ owner

Ovenden resident Allan Hough, 73, was finally reunited with Bella, his five-year-old black labrador, on Saturday, January 28, after she was reported stolen to police on Wednesday, December 7, having last been seen walked on Four Fields, off Cousin Lane.

Mr Hough’s son, Lee, who travelled to collect Bella, admitted the reunion was “emotional.”

He said: “We picked her up on Saturday morning, at about 3.30am. Bella stayed at our house that night and my dad came round at 7am.

“He came in through the front door and as soon as she heard his voice, the ears pricked up, her head was up and she shot to the door. She bolted towards him. Her tail was wagging, the lot. She was unbelievably happy and it was actually like she had never been away.

“It was quite emotional. But my dad is absolutely ecstatic. He is over the moon.”

The search for Bella, who Mr Hough got as a puppy following the death of his wife, Josephine, not only involved the police, but also Keighley-based volunteer group Busters Animal SOS Team West Yorkshire, as well as the general public who have supported the family by sharing Bella-related posts “millions of times” on social media.

And Lee has issued a heartfelt thank you to everyone involved in ensuring Bella’s return. He said:

“My dad had been so down. We were struggling to find her and he was almost to the point of giving in. I was struggling to see it too. But the team I was working with - Busters SOS - would never give up, ever. And they wouldn’t have let me give up either.

“And then we got her. We got her back. Busters SOS got an anonymous phone call, they then contacted me and we then set off to go and pick her up.

“And that is the main thing we set out to do - to find Bella. We have had seven and a half million shares of the posts we put out in total. Everybody from all over Halifax and literally all over the UK. It really helped us out.

“I honestly cannot thank everybody enough. I really mean that. There are no words. If it wasn't for all these people we’d have had no chance.

“We had three officers on it who have been at it constantly. They were in contact daily through email, phone calls and text messages. They have been absolutely superb.

“Busters SOS are non-stop. I was receiving messages from 5.30am until 11.30pm, looking down different avenues at where she could have gone. They are like Charlie’s Angels.”

West Yorkshire Police have confirmed that two people have been arrested and released on bail in connection with the case and that enquiries remain ongoing.

A gofundme page has been set up by Lee to raise money for equipment, such as thermal imaging drones and night-vision binoculars, for Busters Animal SOS Team West Yorkshire. Over £3,200 has already been donated.

To make a donation visit https://www.gofundme.com/f/busters-animals-sos-team-west-yorkshire