A DOG owner said she was "on cloud nine" after being reunited with her dog six months after it was stolen from her front garden.

Daisy Kearey’s three-year old Staffordshire Bull Terrier, Max was returned home thanks to the combined efforts of Petlog, the Kennel Club’s pet reunification service and Dog Lost, the leading website that assists dog owners in the search for missing dogs.

Max was taken from the front garden of Daisy’s home in Notting Hill, London, in April this year and she has worked tirelessly with the support of Dog Lost in her attempts to get her beloved pet back. Her plight has been featured by a host of national newspapers and television, including the Richard & Judy Show on Channel Four.

Daisy and Max were reunited this week after a man, who claimed to have found him as a stray, handed in the dog to Battersea Dogs’ Home in London. Staff at Battersea were able to identify Max by scanning him and reading his unique Petlog reference number on the microchip inserted in his neck, and were able to contact Daisy immediately.

"I dashed over to Battersea as quickly as I could," said Daisy. "When I saw him I couldn’t stop crying and he licked my face. He’s now settling back in at home and relaxing, and playing with my new puppy Nelson. My face is hurting from smiling so much now. I’m on cloud nine."

Daisy was quick to champion Petlog’s help in being reunited with Max: "Thank god for the microchip I gave him. There’s no way that I would have got him back without it. I would recommend it to anyone who has a dog as they cost hardly anything but can make such a huge difference."

The incident is the latest example of the successes of the Petlog scheme. Over 2,000,000 pets have been microchipped as part of the scheme, which is integral to helping a large number of lost and stolen pets to be reunited with their owners.

Daisy also expressed her thanks to Dog Lost, who helped co-ordinate her long campaign to find Max: "Without Dog Lost I don’t think that I would have been able to keep going. I thought of giving up many times but they were behind me all the way, encouraging me that I would get Max back.

"I shall be giving them the reward money on offer to say thank you for their constant support and to help them continue with their fantastic work helping other people whose dogs have gone missing or been stolen."

Jayne Hayes of Dog Lost praised Daisy for her perseverance: "She did all the right things to try to find Max and never gave up. She stayed strong and has taken the time to help several other people whose dogs are missing. We’re absolutely thrilled for Daisy; it couldn’t happen to a nicer person."

USEFUL LINKS: www.doglost.co.uk or www.petlog.org.uk