A PEDIGREE racing husky which went missing in Arbroath last Wednesday has been reunited with its owners following a successful appeal for help in the Courier.

The nine-month-old Siberian husky, called Tikaani, managed to jump over an eight-foot wall at his owners’ home in John Street.

Tikaani was subsequently found by someone who was apparently reluctant to hand him back.

An appeal for help appeared in Friday’s Courier and the dog and his owners, Simone Lavery and Richard Hartshorne, were reunited at the weekend.

“I’m pleased to say that Tikaani was handed over to the Brown Street kennels in Dundee and we collected him this afternoon,” said Simone.

“Aside from an upset tummy, he is in perfect health.

“Earlier in the morning my father received phone calls from a woman claiming she had him in her care and she had no intentions of giving him back.

“She made claims that our dog was undernourished and flea infested.

“I don’t have to tell you how deeply saddened we are by these claims.

“As the public will have read he is no ordinary dog, he is an athlete within the canine world.

“Our dogs are bred for racing, and we shall continue to do just that with them.

“We have the full backing of Sled Dog Association Scotland and some of the best sled dog racers in Scotland.

“If ever there were a shred of doubt on the condition of our dogs we would no longer have them in our very capable hands.

“Sled dog racing is fast becoming a huge winter sport in this country and it’s difficult to obtain dogs as reputable breeders are rightfully unsure of novice and first time owners.

“We had to learn our stuff and prove to the breeders we were capable of taking on the responsibility before we brought Tikaani back home.”

Miss Lavery added that she wanted to thank Tayside Police and members of the public for all their help.

“I also want to thank The Courier for printing our plea. I truly believe that once the woman read the story she realised just how serious this situation was.”