Bring Molly Home: BBC show highlights Tipperary family’s dog theft heartbreak
Molly was taken to the UK after being stolen, with it hoped the documentary could reach those with information.
One and a half years since their beloved dog Molly was stolen from their garden in rural Tipperary, the Eichholz family have had their heartbreaking story shared in a BBC documentary.
Their campaign to be reunited with their springer spaniel has amassed almost 24,000 followers on social media, each one continuously helping to piece together the puzzle of what exactly happened to Molly.
Molly was stolen on July 17 2020 while she was left out to go to the toilet along with the family’s other dog Millie, something the family had done routinely every day for years.
She was passed through several hands in Ireland before being taken to the UK - this the family know for certain.
Back in Cappawhite in County Tipperary, Ciara Eichholz tells the Irish Examiner how her family hopes the documentary will reach those in the UK who have information about Molly.
“We never wanted to have to do this but the exposure is really important to us,” she said.
The BBC documentary Bring Molly Home shines a light on the spate of dog thefts across Ireland and the UK brought on by the pandemic, when the demand for pets outweighed the care for where they necessarily came from.
“She should be 11 this year and spayed, so she's not really going to be sold for the purpose of breeding at this stage,” said Ciara.
“It’s likely that she ended up as another family’s pet, or even an older person or someone that doesn't have social media. Which is why the documentary is so vital to us.”
A cash reward is being offered to anyone who provides information on Molly’s whereabouts, or better yet, brings her home.
Despite never tiring in the fight to see Molly again, Ciara says the family “never want to antagonise anyone in the process”.
“Somebody who has her or has information has to feel comfortable and safe reaching out to us, so we have to be as neutral as possible.
“Anyone who has been involved, we thank them for their honesty and we just have to move on from that point because it's all we can do.”
The Bring Molly Home Facebook page quickly gained huge support from all corners of the world back in 2020, and has only grown since.
“I think that’s because Molly was such a huge part of our family and our dogs are a real part of our family life,” explained Ciara.
“We have so many photos and videos of her and Millie. And it was very important for us on the campaign to always be able to produce some new content about Molly that would make people feel like they knew her.
“I think that that's why people have become so attached. We’ve really given a piece of Molly's life to everyone through this.”
Describing the hike in illegitimate breeding during the past two years, Ciara said “it was almost like dogs became the new drugs”.
“I don't think people are that educated on where their dogs are coming from at the moment,” she said.
“People don't really do their research if they're desperate for a dog, that's all that really matters to them - and it's just a haven for illegitimate breeding and sales.”
With dog thefts, Ciara said “it’s unfortunate that many people just don't learn about what's going on until they become a victim of it”.
“We are far more far more cautious now since Molly went missing. We've had CCTV installed surrounding the whole house. We have new gates that are about six or seven foot tall. We secured our yard a lot more than it had been.
“Before, it would have been normal to let your dogs out to go to the toilet and let them come back in when they were done. Now we never do that. We will be outside at all times, keeping an eye - we never let Millie out of our sight.”
The latest post on the Bring Molly Home Facebook page, accompanied by a jubilant photo of Molly, appeals: “We are desperate to have Molly home. We guarantee no comeback. Everything will go away once Molly is handed over. I can promise you that.”
That post has been liked by over 1,600 people, and shared by the same amount.
Ciara simply described these people as “Molly's army".
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