The owner of a dog that was stolen last week has thanked the community for their help in finding her.

Smudge, a nine-year-old female Patterdale Terrier, was stolen from a kennel in the garden of her home on Monday, February 16, but was found on Thursday night after someone handed her in to Slough police station.

The man who handed her in had found Smudge in his garden on Wednesday night and was planning to take her to the RSPCA until his brother told him he had seen Smudge’s picture online.

Smudge’s owner, who did not want to be named, said she is relieved that she is home, but her and her family still feel vulnerable.

She said: “We’re delighted she’s home but we’re still feeling incredibly vulnerable.

“I'm angry that they could do this to someone. It’s just anger that people think they can come into your home, into your garden and feel that they have the right to take something, especially a loving creature.

“The quad bikes can be replaced but an animal can’t be. I'm angry that they are still out there. I hope to god they get caught and no one else has to go through what we have been through.

“We’re so lucky and so grateful to everyone who shared her picture. The power of the internet made her too hot to handle.”

Smudge was stolen by thieves who broke into her kennel in the garden of a house in Water End, near Stokenchurch. Her theft has been linked to a string of burglaries that happened in the area on the same night.  

Amazingly, Smudge’s owner’s son heard the thieves in the garden.

“My son heard a clanging noise at the kennel and called my husband. My son actually opened the back door to have a look and thinking back, they were probably in the garden at the time, but they had altered the security lights so they were facing down and they couldn’t been seen.”

Her sons aged 15 and 18, were distraught that Smudge had been stolen.

“My sons were devastated. They drove around for hours handing out posters to all the shops because they needed to feel like they were doing something to help find her.”

Smudge’s owner told of her relief at hearing that she had been handed in.

“When we got the call from the police, I was asking lots of questions about her to make sure it was actually her. I made them send me a picture and as soon as I saw it I knew it was her. I was so emotional but so relieved. I was rushing around trying to get there as quick as possible.

“I am so amazed, so grateful. She had a couple of wounds on her but nothing major and she’s absolutely fine now. She had a bath and she’s back to her usual self.

“It’s a shame because the dogs can’t go out in the garden by themselves anymore; they always have to have someone with them because we just don’t feel safe now.”

She told of her disbelief at being part of a spate of burglaries in the surrounding area.

“We’ve had Smudge for nine years. Our dogs are part of our family; they’re part of every single day. I felt awful when we got into bed on Monday night. I told my husband it just felt so wrong knowing she wasn’t there.

“She wouldn’t know what was happening. She’s very trusting so she wouldn’t have even barked when they came into her kennel.

“You just don’t think anything like this would ever happen to you and hearing about all the other crimes that happened the same night was horrific. It was just so horrible to be a part of that.”

Smudge’s owner told how she was thankful to everyone who helped find her.

“I can’t fault the police, they have been amazing. I just want to say thank you to them and to everyone who shared her picture around on the internet. It really did what it was supposed to do.”