A VALE woman is urging fellow dog owners to be on their guard after her Jack Russell went missing.

Susan Kottler, of Little Comberton, believes Archie, her much-loved Jack Russell and twin to Isabelle who is pining for him, was taken by dog snatchers, whom she believes were operating in the area.

Mrs Kottler said she was alerted to the thieves when looking for her six-year-old dog, which disappeared on Sunday, December 8.

A neighbour, who also owns a Jack Russell, told her of two men in a white van who had attempted to steal his dog a few weeks earlier.

Mrs Kottler said she had been told that a man got out of the van with a little bit of food to try to entice him and another man was overheard to say: 'just grab him'." They sped off empty-handed when the dog's owner appeared.

This account prompted Mrs Kottler to call several dog advice lines, which told her that there had been a spate of Jack Russell thefts in the area.

She said: "I'm convinced he's been stolen. He has a collar, so if he had been run over we would have been contacted by now.

"I think that he might have been offered to someone for Christmas."

Archie is white with brown markings. He is an unusual dog for his breed with a long tail which has not been docked.

West Mercia Constabulary spokesman Vicki Davies said it was possible that the dog would have been reported as missing not stolen and consequently no investigation had been opened.

Can you help to find Archie or do you have a similar story to tell? Contact reporter Phil Sunderland by clicking on his byline at the top of the story.