M1 crash: Plea to find missing pet dog which fled after being involved in crash on Yorkshire motorway

Athena was one of three dogs which was travelling in a car when it was hit by another car close to junction 33 of the M1 on Saturday (Mar 15) at around 6.45pm.

A driver, who failed a roadside breath test, had crashed into the car of a family who were travelling with their three dogs.

One of the dogs, a springer spaniel, instantly died in the crash, while the family’s Staffordshire bull terrier stayed with them at the scene.

But Athena, their German shepherd, was petrified and ran away from the scene and has not been seen since.

A statement from South Yorkshire Police said: “Officers carried out searches of the area, and enquiries with partners but we, and the owners, have still sadly been unable to find the dog.

“We’re urging our communities to be vigilant and if you see a German Shepherd that you believe could be Athena, as photographed, please get in touch.

“The driver, a 40- year-old man, was arrested on suspicion of failing to provide and driving without due care and attention.”

He appeared at Sheffield Magistrates Court today (Mar 17).

Anyone with information is asked to contact police on 101, quoting incident number 798 of March 15.