Happy ending as family reunited with beloved pets
A Robinstown family is overjoyed tonight after being reunited with their dogs Lady and Lilo who had been missing for eight days.
Falynn Mackey firmly believes the Lady, a year old bulldog and Lilo, an eight-month-old pug must have been stolen as they vanished without a trace from their home in Robinstown around lunchtime on 30th November.
The Mackeys left no stone unturned in their bid to find their beloved pets and as well as walking miles searching ditches and farm buildings, they contacted every vet, every dog pound, and port and launched a widespread social media campaign sharing the appeal for information on groups far and wide in the hope of being reunited with their pets in time for Christmas.
Their heartbroken children had even said they didn't want toys off Santa this year- they only wanted their dogs back.
Sharing the good news of their return this evening on Facebook, Falynn posted a heartfelt thanks to everyone who had helped look for them.
"Lady & Lilo are home. To say we are ecstatic is an understatement. We just want to thank everyone for all the support, shares, messages, to everyone who helped looked for them. They are home. Thank you so very much."
Both dogs have been checked by vets and although stressed seem to be ok after their ordeal. Falynn explained that they will be checked over again in two days to make sure they are definitely ok.
Making an appeal for information last week, Falynn told how they had disappeared from their back garden and were last seen in Clady Meadows estate at around 1pm on 30th November.
"There has been absolutely nothing, it is like they have literally just vanished," said an emotional Falynn.
She told how have they scoured all the local fields, ditches and farm buildings as well as knocking on doors all around the village but to no avail.
They were so desperate to get their beloved pets back that Falynn and husband Steve even offered a €1,000 reward for their safe return.
The suspected theft of the dogs was reported to Gardai
Falynn believes the dogs must have been stolen as they just disappeared and nobody in the village had seen any trace of them.
She explained that bull dogs could be sold for up to €2,500 and pugs for up to €1,000.
Both dogs are female but are neutered so cannot be used for breeding. They are microchipped and the microchip company was notified of their theft.
The disappearance of their beloved pets left a huge void in their family and Falynn made a desperate appeal for their safe return.
"Our daughter is just six. She is absolutely devastated. We all are. We have a little boy who is only three and he keeps asking where they are, and why is their bed empty. How do you explain it to a child?"