A FAMILY is appealing for the return of a pedigree dog and its puppy which went missing last week.

Dawn Myers says her seven-year-old son Tom is distraught at the loss of the family pets.

Mrs Myers' husband, Paul, was walking their German wire-haired pointed Spinner and six-month-old puppy Piper in Aycliffe Quarry at about 2.30pm last Thursday.

She said: "The adult dog went off after a rabbit and the puppy followed her. We have not seen them since.

"I am concerned that somebody might have spotted them and taken them in. They are certainly not with any of the local dog pounds or lying dead on the roads."

Spinner, who has qualified for Crufts, is brown, with a white mark on its leg. Piper is black and white, unusual for the breed.

Mrs Myers, from Aycliffe Village, said: "We have another puppy called Chen that is the same as the one we have lost and he is pining because his mother and sister have gone missing. My little boy is also missing them."

The family, which is prepared to offer a small reward for the safe return of the dogs, can be contacted on (01325) 319735