Family’s joy as stolen pets returned

Christmas has come early for one family after their three stolen pet greyhounds were found safe and well.

The McKeevers were left devastated on Saturday morning after they awoke to find their home broken into and their beloved dogs taken.

The gate at the rear of their home in Letterkenny, Co Donegal had been twisted and the three pets taken from sheds.

Father John McKeever said the family was heartbroken as they had raised the two pups from a litter of 13 which was born on January 1.

“We heard barking in the middle of the night but didn’t think much of it,” said John. “But when we woke up we knew the gate had been twisted off and the dogs were gone. We were just gutted that anybody would do such a thing.”

He said whoever stole the dogs had come prepared, as they had their own leads to take the dogs.

The family, including John’s wife Noreen and children Grainne, 19, and Ronan, 21, put the word out by social media about the missing pets.

John said: “I would have always been sceptical about social media but I have seen first-hand the power of it.

“We had everyone looking and it wasn’t long before we had a number of possible sightings.”

And, to the family’s delight, just before 6pm on Saturday, a young boy called to the house and said he had found the dogs straying on the street.

John said he would not like to think what would have happened to the pets if they had not launched a search for Tiger, Otto, and Buddy.