Sheffield family ‘thrilled’ to be reunited with missing dog Dotty the Frenchie after 11-day search

Kym Barnett reported Dotty the Frenchie as missing from her home in Shirehall Crescent, in Shiregreen, shortly after midnight on Saturday, July 20.

Now after over 11 full days of searching, the nine-year-old French bulldog has finally been reunited with her family, after being found more than three miles away in Chapeltown yesterday morning (July 31).

Lisa Dean, founder of Beauty’s Legacy, a charity that works to locate lost and stolen pets across the UK, has said Dotty is now with her mum Kym, who is “thrilled” to have her back.

“They're thrilled, absolutely thrilled,” Lisa said. “She’s finally home and her mum's a little bit in shock.

“She's a gorgeous little dog, [Dotty] is so happy as well. She was so happy - none the wiser. She was wagging her tail. She was just pleased to see everyone, she gave me a big kiss.”

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Lisa was phoned at around 11pm on Tuesday by a woman on Mill Road in Ecclesfield who believed she had captured Dotty running past her house. CCTV footage gave volunteers a direction to find the missing pup.

Then yesterday morning, a woman in Chapeltown said she believed Dotty was in her garden.

Two volunteers, Stacey Gill and her daughter Faith, arrived within minutes at the home on Chapel Road, where they found the little Frenchie.

Dotty had recently undergone surgery when she escaped from the family’s garden. The stitches in her paw have since come out while she’s been on her adventures, but besides that, Dotty is showing no signs of harm or distress.

Lisa said: “There's no way that dog has been out for 11 or 12 days. No way. She's not wet, she's not dirty. She smells musty, like she's been shut in somewhere.

“We've had such hot weather, and she’s not dehydrated, she’s not weak, she's not thin. She was taken and dumped.

“I know dog behaviour, and there's no way that dog would have been so calm and friendly this morning if she'd been out for two weeks.

“Someone has had that dog without a shadow of a doubt, and basically, we made her too hot to handle.”

Lisa described the search as a “massive team effort”, which saw her team of volunteers put up 1,000 posters in the search for Dotty, including a six foot banner.

She gave her thanks to everyone involved in the search, including everyone that called with any sightings, or shared their appeals online.

If your dog or cat goes missing, contact Beauty’s Legacy via their website, Facebook, or by calling 07866 026343. The sooner you get in touch, the sooner the volunteers can get on the case and get your pet home.