A FRENCH bulldog has been reunited with her owner after disappearing five months ago.

The two-year-old dog, Cherry, was stolen and sold to a man in Brighton for only £250 – which is far lower than the price of £1,000 and above that the breed usually sell.

The buyer found that Cherry did not get on well with his existing dogs and went to the RSPCA for advice.

The animal charity checked Cherry's microchip and found that her owner lived 160 miles away.

Cherry’s owner Vivian Joyce, who lived in Northampton when her dog disappeared, was unsure she would ever see her French bulldog again.

The pair were reunited, with Cherry excited to be back with Vivian as "she hadn’t forgotten her at all".

Vivian, who has since moved to Wisbech, Cambridgeshire, said: “I had almost given up hope of ever seeing her again.

“My younger son used to ask every day when we were going to see her. I had her as a puppy and she is so loved.

“When RSPCA Brighton rang to say they had traced the microchip and they had her, I just cried. I’m so grateful to get her back.”

Sussex Police recorded 31 dog thefts in 2020, but at least 12 of those were disputes over dog ownership between known parties.

While reports of dog theft are relatively low in Sussex the police have issued guidance to owners to keep their pets safe.

They suggest that owners make sure their pet is microchipped and registered with up to date information.

Owners should also make sure their pets have tags with contact information on, dogs should always wear a collar and ID tag as this is a legal requirement when your dog is in a public place.

Branch manager at RSPCA Brighton Jenny Eden said: “It was really touching to see how excited Cherry was when her owner turned up, she hadn’t forgotten her at all.

“This just goes to show how important those microchips are, as well as keeping them up to date so if anything does happen to your pet, we can get them back to you as quickly as possible.”

Have you got a story for us? Email news@theargus.co.uk or contact us here.

Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to keep up with all the latest news.

Sign up to our newsletter to get updates sent straight to your inbox.

You can also call us on 01273 021 400.