Appeal after beloved border collies Flo and Efa stolen from Cranham

LUCY Bent and her husband James have launched a desperate appeal after their beloved pet dogs were stolen.

On Wednesday the couple, from Burleigh in Stroud, reported to police the theft of their Land Rover Discovery 3, which had their two border collies inside.

Luckily one-year-old Efa was discovered yesterday in Brockworth, but Flo, aged just four months, is still missing.

Mr Bent, a landscape gardener, was working at a house in Cranham on Wednesday at 10.45am when the incident happened.

His wife Mrs Bent said: "The vehicle was parked off the road away from everything so they must have had a good look at it.

"Somebody slammed the door shut, jumped in the vehicle and drove off towards the A46. They drove out so quickly they smashed part of the wall from the property's garden. They (the dogs) were only in the Discovery because it was raining."

They immediately reported the theft to police and posted an appeal on website www.doglost.co.uk prompting an incredible response on social media from dog lovers.

"Everyone has been so helpful it has been phenomenal," added Mrs Bent.

"Any dog owner will know how heartbreaking this is for us. It is fantastic news that Efa has been recovered, it really is, but now our focus is on getting Flo back.

"They are like our children, this has been absolutely horrendous for us. When you realise they have been taken your mind thinks the worst automatically, you can only hope they are being cared for."

Efa was bought at the age of eight weeks as a replacement for their previous border collie Bryn who was run over in January last year. Flo followed at the start of this year.

Police are urging anyone who has seen anything suspicious to call them on 101 quoting incident number 131 of May 15.