A MUCH-LOVED family dog has been snatched from outside a newsagents in a busy resort street.
Owner Jenny Clarke left six-year-old terrier cross Troy tethered to a bicycle post outside the News Shop newsagents – a few doors down from the British Heart Foundation, in St Peter's Avenue, on Tuesday.
As she popped into the charity shop at about 1-1.15pm, witnesses say a woman, accompanied by two men, walked over to the dog, untied him and took him.
Husband Alan, of Garbutt Place, Cleethorpes, says the family are understandably very upset by the theft.
He said: "It is heartbreaking. It is our pet and we want him back. Just the thought of him being in somebody else's house is upsetting. The people that took him won't know how to look after him, and Troy won't know them. We just hope he will be found. If anyone has a neighbour who suddenly has a dog that looks like Troy, I urge them to get in touch with the police."
The couple's son, Kevin, has posted an appeal to find Troy on Facebook – which so far has attracted more than 10,000 hits.
The family are also making posters and putting them up, hoping the photo of Troy will jog someone's memory.
Alan believes their dog could have been taken by somebody local.
"The speed of how he disappeared points to it being somebody with local knowledge. They could have disappeared down a side street within seconds," he said.
CCTV cameras operate in St Peter's Avenue and it is hoped the perpetrators have been filmed.
Troy is described as being a medium-sized dog. He was wearing a collar identity disc and has been micro-chipped.
The police are investigating the incident.
If you have any information on this case, call the police on 101, quoting incident number AB/2014/281-2013.
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