Stolen Rotherham dog found in Coventry seven months later

Robert Marsden, from Masbrough, said his Japanese Akita, Diachi, was taken from the garden of his previous home last September and he and his family had given up hope that the dog would ever be found.

But dog wardens in Coventry, in the West Midlands, found Diachi in April and when his microchip was scanned his owners were tracked down.

The dog and his owners have now been reunited.

Robert, a dad-of-four, said: “We’ve no idea how he ended up roaming the streets of Coventry,

“My nine-year-old son has learning difficulties and he was in tears when he heard the news that Diachi had been found. He’s over the moon – we all are.”

Rotherham Council dog warden, Fay Drabble, added: “It’s great that this story had a happy outcome, but not all owners are so lucky. All dogs should now be chipped by law, as well as wearing a disc with their owner’s name and address. Hopefully as more and more people make sure their dogs are micro-chipped, we can trace more owners of missing dogs.”