Stolen Staffie leaves Islington family ‘devastated’
Jessie, pictured here with John Grieve, went missing outside Your Local Express in Liverpool Road - Credit: Archant
A family has been left devastated after their dog was stolen from outside a shop in Islington.
Jessie, a five-year-old Staffordshire bull terrier, was taken from outside Your Local Express in Liverpool Road at around 9.20pm on November 10, while his owner, John Grieve, went into the shop to buy a drink.
Mr Grieve’s son Stephen, 24, said: “Dad had Jessie tied up outside for about 30 seconds while he went into the shop and when he came out the dog was gone. I don’t know whether someone was following him or if they spotted him and quickly took him.”
Now the family, of Offord Road, is desperately trying to track down their pet, and has launched an appeal for information to help bring Jessie, who is microchipped, home.
“We’re devastated,” Stephen said. “He’s a really big part of our lives. We would do absolutely anything to have him back.”
Since Jessie went missing last week the family has posted several appeals on social media and on websites for missing pets.
“The response has been amazing,” Stephen said. “I never realised social media could be so powerful. I put a post up on Facebook saying Jessie had been stolen and asking people to keep their eyes open and share the post. Within about eight hours it had been shared in Essex, Norfolk, Norwich, Leeds, Cornwall and Devon.”
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Stephen has also tweeted Ricky Gervais and Stephen Fry – “hopefully they will retweet me,” he said.
The family believes Jessie may have been bundled into a green Vauxhall car, however this has not been confirmed by police. Police have spoken with a number of witnesses, as well as viewing CCTV.
Jessie is tan-coloured, has a white triangle on the back of his neck, two scars on the front left upper leg and one under the right eye.
Anyone with information should contact officers at Islington via 101.
