A Fife dog has been missing for over a week, with Glenrothes owner Sarah Taggerty fearing her chihuahua may have been stolen.
Sarah said her tiny pet has been missing since she briefly put her in the garden with her other dog.
She fears Esme the chihuahua was forcibly taken from the garden, as the eight-year-old dog strongly dislikes the outdoors.
The family are offering a financial reward of £2,000 for her safe return.
“She’s just vanished off the face of the earth,” said Sarah, 38.
“I put her and my other dog out for the toilet for 10 minutes – they’re both wee dogs who hate going outside.
“When I went back to get them, she was gone.”
‘Stolen’ Fife dog scared of outdoors
The Glenrothes pooch has not been seen for over a week now, with her owners growing increasingly concerned for her wellbeing.
“She wouldn’t have been able to get away by herself,” said Sarah.
“She has never even tried, she is petrified of being outside and doesn’t go near anyone except me and my husband.
“There’s also not many places for her to escape.”
Attempts to find the tiny dog have so far been fruitless, with search parties scanning the neighbourhood for any sign of Esme.
Sarah said: “We’ve been out searching with volunteers but nothing at all.
“We’ve banged on every single door nearby asking them to check because she’s tiny.
“If she was hiding, she could easily fit under a shed.
‘Quite shocking to everyone in the estate’
“She is microchipped and we’ve reported it to police.
“We just want to put awareness out there as someone might have seen her.
“It’s quite shocking to everyone in this estate – I’ve never heard of anyone having a dog stolen around here.”
Sarah has asked anyone who finds the dog to hand her into Albavet on Nicol Street in Kirkcaldy or any other vet local to Glenrothes.
A Police Scotland spokesperson said: “Around 11.55am on Thursday January 27, police received a report of a stolen dog from a property on Beachwood Drive in Glenrothes.
“Enquiries are currently ongoing.”
