Missing dog from Langley still not found six years on

Michele Rodriguez and Paul McErlean adopted Dana, a Jack Russell and Whippet cross who came from Serbia, in February 2016.

But since June 2016, the couple have been searching for their pooch for six years, who would have now been eight-and-a-half years old.

Michele said: “You would have never thought she had such a life as she was so sweet, loving and good natured.

“Although quite shy and timid at first, she bonded quite well with me, my husband Paul and our other dog at the time, Freddy.

“I know it sounds like a cliche but our little family was complete and we were so happy.”

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On the day Dana went missing, June 18, 2016, the couple took her to visit Paul’s parents, who live on Meadfield Road, Langley.

But while Dana was out in the garden the pair thought something had scared her and she managed to crawl under a small gap in a side gate.

Paul’s father jumped into his car and saw her running along Mead Avenue, but she was too quick and disappeared out of sight.

In the weeks following Dana’s disappearance, there were sighting of Dana in Langley near the canal, the Nisa shop on Willoughby Road, Langely Memorial Park, on St Mary’s Road and in places in Iver.

Michele added: “We are now convinced that Dana was taken in by someone, albeit in good faith.

“They possibly may not have used the Internet so wouldn’t have known about Dana being missing.”

Or she thinks Dana possibly went outside the area so people were not aware she was missing.

Michelle and Paul with Dana before she went missing.

“The last six years have taken their toll on mine and my husband’s personal and physical lives,” Michele explained.

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“We postponed our wedding, my husband changed jobs and took time out in between to search every day for Dana and I changed my job to work part time and nearer to home.

“I also become extremely anxious and worried something might happen to our dogs and for a long time, I just could not shake this fear off.

“I have only just become more relaxed but I still cannot be totally calm about it all.”

Michele is concerned, after reading many other stories of similar incidents, how much of a big problem this has become.

She said people should take stray dogs to a vet to get their microchip checked.

“The constant daily pain, stress and worry owners go through, not knowing what has happened to their dog when they have gone missing and are never found, is immense and could so easily be avoided if this situation of people keeping stray dogs as their own, was made more public,” Michele said.

“We, her family, of course want Dana back home with us.

“But just to know what has happened to her, would give us some comfort, especially if she has been looked after by someone all this time.

“The not knowing is soul destroying.”