A dog owner decided to hand over her beloved pet after discovering she had been stolen seven years ago.
Sprocker spaniel Flash was stolen from her original owner Emma Drewett, 49, back in 2015 - but despite launching a social media appeal, the search proved fruitless.
The gamekeeper and her teenage son Luke described the wait as 'seven years of living hell', not knowing if their furry friend was safe or even alive.
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However, this all changed when they were contacted by Michelle Burrow, a fellow dog lover who had rescued Flash nine months prior from a local breeder over 200 miles from her first home in south Wales.
Michelle, 38, said a friend messaged her with a picture of a missing dog, saying: "Doesn't this look just like your Flashie?"
Noticing the resemblance, she decided to check Flash's microchip details, which were included on the social media post - sure enough, it was a match.
It was a bittersweet moment for Michelle, as she'd formed such a close bond with her rescue pup.
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But she decided to do the right thing and hand Flash back to her rightful owners.
The care worker, who lives in Buckinghamshire, said: "It was really bittersweet for me because Flash had become a big part of my life.
"She's such a sweet and lovely girl who's always wagging her tail and just wants to be everyone's friend.
"Her place soon became the foot of my bed; so she'd be the last thing I saw before I went to sleep and the first thing that greeted me when I woke up in the morning."
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She continued: "Turns out she was one of five dogs who'd all been taken on the same day.
"And when I phoned Flash's owner to tell her she was still alive we were both in floods of tears.
"It was a really bittersweet moment for me because I knew I'd just made someone really happy by reuniting them with their lost pet.
"But, at the same time, I would consequently have to give up my lovely little girl."
Michelle also criticised the company responsible for Flash's microchip, adding: "The only info on Flash's chip was her date of birth and the date the implant was put in.
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"There was nothing at all to suggest she was missing. Maybe it was a system error of some kind, which can happen.
"But all I know is a lot of heartache could have been avoided had things been done properly."
Last month, Flash was returned to Emma and her family.
Speaking about the emotional reunion, Emma said: "It’s quite unbelievable that after seven years Flash is back home with us.
"At first she just stared at me and my partner, but then the manic tail wagging started and she was jumping all over us.
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"There have thousands and thousands of shared posts by people on social media and I wish I could thank each of you personally.
"It’s the end of a weird chapter, seven years of living hell not knowing where she was or what had happened, but she’s home now.
"I would really like to thank Michelle Burrow who bought Flash not knowing she’d been stolen and gave her a loving home for seven months.
"It was really difficult for her to hand Flash back as they had developed a close bond.
"If it wasn’t for Michelle we’d still be searching."
Topics: Dogs, Animals, Social Media, UK News
Daisy Phillipson