Dog home safe after stolen van ordeal - Update

A much loved dog has been reunited with her family after a terrifying ordeal. Jack Russell Berry was inside owner Paul Hindmarsh’s work van when it was stolen by a cold-hearted thief who drove off at high speeds. Paul, 45, who runs The Complete Landscape Company, was working with his son Tommy, 20, on a job in Parkgate Road, Holbrooks on Friday lunchtime when his van, containing all his work tools, cards and cash, as well as Berry was stolen. Tommy managed to jump onto the back of the van and hang on for several minutes before being thrown off, suffering cuts and bruises.

Despite losing so much Paul said he was only upset about Berry, who accompanied him on all his jobs and was known and loved by all his customers. Heartbroken Paul spent the next three days searching high and low for her. Thankfully he has now been reunited with his pet after a woman read about Berry and called him. “The woman said she had found Berry sat in an alleyway not long after the van had gone missing so they had obviously put her out on the road and then driven off,” said Paul, of Allesley Village.



“Berry is a really friendly dog so she jumped straight into the lap of the lady who was in a mobility scooter and the woman took her home. She took Berry to the Nuneaton and Bedworth dog warden who put her in kennels and she spent the entire weekend there while we were all out looking for her. After they saw the story the lady called me and told me where Berry was.” Since Friday, Paul has received hundreds of messages from people who wanted to help find Berry. He added: “I thought the lady was just a hoax at first but one of my customers forced me to go and drove me to the kennels because I refused.

"I had almost given up on finding her again but I am glad I went now. I was just amazed we had found her. She’s never even been in kennels before so it must have been a strange experience for her. I know it is only a dog but over the weekend I searched day and night for her. It was exhausting. I can’t thank everyone enough for looking for her. She’s back at work with me now sitting in the garden as if nothing ever happened. My tools and van are still missing but it’s all back to normal.”

Previously.