Family's heartbreak over disabled daughter's assistance puppy suspected to have been stolen from their Yorkshire home

Lucy the pug puppy disappeared from the Addison family's home in Rotherham last month and has not been seen since, with the family now fearing she was taken.

The puppy acts as an assistance dog for the family's daughter, Ellieanna, who has a brain injury and was born with Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia – a condition which means her heart is on the wrong side of her body.

The three-year-old has to be fed through a tube in her stomach and relies on Lucy the pug as a means of aiding her communication development.

Lucy disappeared on September 2 from the family's garden at their home in Thurcroft, with the family especially concerned as the puppy has a condition obstructing her airways and was booked in to receive critical surgery 13 days after she disappeared.

According to witnesses, she was seen being picked up by a man and woman and put into a small van near the family's home.

Without the surgery and her daily medication, Lucy could suffer fits and become seriously unwell.

Ellieanna's mother Chloe Addison said the puppy had been her daughter's "lifeline" and that the suspected theft had left her "heartbroken".

“Ellieanna has a heart of gold despite all that life has thrown at her," she said.

"She faces lifelong challenges. She is a very special little girl, a survivor, and so is her best friend, Lucy. Because of her brain injuries, Ellieanna does not usually communicate all that much, but since we got Lucy, there has been a big change.

“We urge whoever has Lucy to bring her back to us. There is a strong possibility she will already be having fits, so needs urgent medical attention. We are all devastated.”

The family is now offering a £1,500 reward for information leading to her safe return.

Some 44 cases involving stolen dogs were reported to South Yorkshire Police between January and July this year, according to data revealed by the Freedom of Information Act. None of these have resulted in a person being charged.

The figure is a rise from the same period the year before, when there were 30 thefts of dogs, despite a huge fall in thefts and burglaries during the lockdown period.

The Addison family is being supported by the voluntary organisation Beauty’s Legacy, which helps reunite missing pets with their owners.

Lisa Dean, who runs the organisation, said: “Since the onset of the coronavirus lockdown, we’ve seen a sharp rise in the number of people asking for help to find their missing pets. Lucy’s family really need her home.”

Anyone with information about Lucy's whereabouts is urged to call South Yorkshire Police on 101, quoting crime reference number 14/133420/20.

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