PET THEFT . Please note - this story is published here solely for friends of Wallace. The pictures and words are copyright and may not be reproduced without the express permission of the Author.

Progress: Saturday 8th.

On Friday 14th, at around 2PM we received a phone call from a male with an irish accent saying 'I have just seen your poster in the Teddington Tesco, and I think I have seen your dog. He was playing with some kids on the Brook Estate. Just wait. I will go see if he is still there and I will get him for you.' I said 'That's very kind of you - but are you sure that's my dog' 'Oh yes' he said.

Fifteen minutes later a second call. 'I found the kids but they say the dog is in Hounslow on an estate, so I will have to go and look there. I lost a dog once so I know how it feels.' etc We felt certain that this fellow had the dog. I had a clear impression that he was executing a well practiced routine. One that required the mention of a cash incentive. When he called for a third time, prior to his 'search of the estate in Hounslow' I offered him a £500 reward if he succeeded. Surprisingly the next call was to say that 'I found your dog tied up in a yard. Some Yugoslavian guy said it was his. I told him it was my uncles and I wanted it back and then there was a bit of a scuffle, but I got your dog.' 'Are you sure its my dog?' 'Oh yes' he replied. I suggested we meet at Hampton Court Station. 'I'll be there in thirty minutes because of the traffic' he said. 'I will have the cash waiting' I replied.

Thirty minutes later a late model silver mercedes pulled up, (Reg M236 UKL) and I saw Wallace inside. The passenger door opened, and I recognised Wallace. The moment he saw me his eyes lit up and he tried to get across the passenger to reach me. It was immediately apparent that he was struggling to move. Even as I held him, he appeared lethargic to the point of being practically unconscious. I paid the 'Gentlemen' and thanked them for their fine efforts.

This is the actual moment I have got hold of Wallace.

Once the money had changed hands, they left, and I returned Wallace to the waiting support inside the station.

There was a blue rope that apparently had been used to tie him up.(Visible in this picture.) Wallace barely seemed to register anything going on. He certainly appeared unable to walk.

We rushed him home where we had the opportunity to examine his condition. He was unable to stand firmly on all fours. He had a small open wound below the left ear, seemingly from a dog bite. He had dried excrement to one side of his head. The first step to his rehabilitation was a bath. An enormous amount of dirt was removed. This seemed to perk him up, and once returned to the carpet he frantically started grooming himself

Looking to the cause of his inability to stand, we examined his pads. All four pad's have an open wound. This we believe is the result of being tied up and standing in urine. It looks as if the ammonia has caused a rotting inside the pads.

For the first two hours he lay in his bed just lost in space..... And after his rest we took him out for a walk back on the riverbank. It was like watching a flat balloon fill up with air - as he sniffed his favorite bits and bumped into his friends on the tow path. By the end of the walk he seemed to have forgotten the pain in his feet.

He has now eaten his special meal and is sleeping in his day bed. Tonight, for the first time in his life, he gets to sleep on our bed. And then tomorrow starts a new day.

We have explained to him how many hundreds of people all turned their collective will to getting him home, and he says. THANKS.

E MAil Wallace HQ

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