Missing dogs returned to Grimston resident but heartache continues

A Grimston resident has talked of her joy at the return of her dogs Rummy and Rikki but her other two dogs have still not been found.

As a breeder of miniature wire-haired dachshunds she had encountered problems over her licensing by West Norfolk Council, so while the matter was resolved, Shelley Tomsett had placed four of her dogs into boarding kennels owned by a friend in Swadlincote, Derbyshire.

The licensing issues had also caused a lot of stress and health issues so this seemed a good remedy for the time being to make sure her dogs were in good care while she was getting hospital treatment.

However, a break-in at the boarding kennels back in February resulted in eight dogs being stolen, including her four pets Rummy, Rikki, Jess and Cookie.

A gang of five had broken in, recorded on CCTV, and stolen the eight dogs.

She thought they were gone forever. But Rikki was later found running in a field in Hampshire and then last week she received a telephone call from a dog warden in Leicestershire saying “We’ve got your dog”.

She thought it was a joke as it is not unknown for con artists to demand money for the return.

But this was for real and Rummy had been found by Leicestershire police. "After six months away, my lovely Rummy is home," Shelley wrote on her social media account.

Shelley told the Lynn News: "Rikki is a seven-year-old red male miniature wire-haired dachshund who suffers seizures due to a head injury from years ago so we think he was dumped for that reason. He was covered in fleas and in a mess, underweight but now recovering well."

Police raided an address and last Tuesday Rummy was recovered.

Shelley said: "Rummy is a chocolate-and-tan male who is five years old. He is microchipped and tattooed. He was found in Market Harborough by police after a tip-off."

Her dogs are chipped, and because she breeds pedigree show dogs they are tattooed as well.

But two of her dogs, Cookie and Jess, are still missing.

Jess is black and tan and Cookie is chocolate coloured with one green eye and one blue eye.

She has been given a temporary licence for a year to continue breeding the dachsunds. She says the fight with the planners has caused her “two years of grief " and cost her more than £5,000.

The dispute is over an enforcement notice of how many dogs are allowed on the premises and retrospective planning permission.

She says she finds it frustrating that the council seem to be targeting breeders with licences rather than “backyard breeders making a profit and never getting caught".

She said: "People are breeding illegally that they will never find. They are hitting the law-abiding citizens and not the ones who are making money on illegal litters.”

She is worried about people stealing dogs and praised Leicestershire police for their “pro-active searches for stolen pets”.

She said: "My dog would have been stolen to be used as a stud dog to illegally breed puppies and then dumped.

"I am licensed as a breeder but the new licensing rules, needing planning permission as a breeder meant they told me I had to get rid of most of my dogs and have them put down.

"There are not enough staff to look at unlicensed breeders so they target those with licenses.

"The planner said they were going to stop me breeding dogs in a residential area even though nobody has complained. The dogs are not a nuisance and have never been a nuisance, my neighbours stand up for me.”