Devastated Sheffield support worker comes home from long shift during lockdown to find French Bulldog puppy stolen

Dion Taha, who works with dementia patients in the community, arrived back at her home near Bowden Woods in Darnall on Saturday afternoon (March 28) and was surprised when the much-loved puppy, three-month-old Bella, wasn’t waiting for her at the door as normal.

Letting herself in, Dion quickly realised that someone had forced entry through the front door and ransacked her home looking for Bella’s papers. Little Bella was nowhere to be found.

“Perhaps I have been naive, but you just don’t think that anyone would break into someone’s home and steal a dog,” said Dion. “Not at the moment, when things are already so difficult.

“I also have a Bengal cat, but luckily she was outside- otherwise I think she would have been taken too.

“My papers were all over the floor- luckily Bella’s papers were in my car, as she was due a visit to the vet. Some silver jewllery had also been taken.

“I know that Bella will be so frightened. She was tiny and had only just started going outside for walks. I was careful to take her round the woods and nowhere near the roads as I think she’d have been scared.”

Dion posted an appeal to find Bella on Facebook, offering a £500 reward- which has since risen to £1,000. She said she has been ‘overwhelmed’ with messages of support from across Sheffield.

“People have been so lovely,” she said. “But I must stress that before this I was not a Facebook person. I was a very private person. So I don’t know how anyone knew I had Bella. They may have seen me with her in the woods.”

Neighbours who have CCTV saw a man with a hoodie walking in the area at the time Bella was stolen- between 6am and 1pm that day.

A ‘gunmetal’ colour Audi was also spotted in the area.

Dion added: “My one hope is that she’s being looked after, at least. I can’t bear the thought of anyone not looking after he properly. I hope she’s getting lots of love.”

Dion has also asked that anyone who thinks they may have seen Bella in a different part of the country get in touch with their local RSPCA branch.

“I am so grateful for everyone’s help but I am unable to get to places like let’s say Leicester,” she said. “People have been messaging from all over the country.

“Please call your local RSPCA branch. Bella is chipped, so if you take her to a vet it should flag up that she has been stolen.”

A Facebook group, #FindBella, has been launched where people can share information: https://www.facebook.com/groups/556617281627197/

The incident has been reported to South Yorkshire Police.