Eco the Staffordshire Bull Terrier has one of the craziest stories to share. She was stolen in the middle of the night when her human’s back was turned, but her mom was able to steal the dog back after a month of searching. Oddly enough, a psychic predicted exactly where Eco was located. The whole situation was incredibly bizarre for everyone involved.
Now, Eco’s family is raising awareness about dog thefts to ensure that this never happens to anyone else. If only Eco could share her side of the story too!
A Sneaky Case of Dognapping
Ceilidh Barclay took Eco for a late night walk near their home in the UK. It was around 2 am and no one else was around, so Barclay let the dog walk without a leash. Little did she know, that would put her beloved pup in danger. In only a second, Eco vanished.
“I was chatting with my partner and within five minutes of being there we heard ushering. Both of us heard it, looked up and she had vanished. There was no people, no cars, and no dog around,” said Barclay.
At first, Barclay hoped that Eco had just run back to their front door to go inside. Yet, when the dog wasn’t anywhere near her home, Barclay panicked. She knew the sweet dog had been stolen, but in the middle of the night, it’s hard to find help.
So, Barclay and her family got to work on finding Eco. They printed posters to hang up around town and even created a Facebook group to help with the search. There were a lot of tips that got them nowhere, but Barclay was intrigued by a psychic’s comment. However, she didn’t think much of it at the time since it seemed a little peculiar.
Was it Fate?
Finally, Barclay got a lead worth exploring. A woman working at a doggy daycare said that she saw Eco at a bottom-floor flat nearby. So, Barclay went to investigate, but when she did, she saw something very familiar. She was unsure if it was fate or just a huge coincidence.
“I remembered that a stranger commented on my Facebook post that they had a ‘psychic reading’ with my dog which I didn’t give much thought to at the time,” Barclay said. “The comment said that Eco was in a first floor flat, she could see out of a window, she can see a blue building and a telegraph pole. It was very specific, and it was what I was seeing at that moment.”
So, Barclay held a stakeout for about seven hours. She figured that the people would have to let a dog outside within that time. Sure enough, the door finally opened up, and Eco came trotting out. The thieves didn’t put a leash on her, so Barclay whispered the dog’s name, and Eco came running toward her mom. Then, Barclay drove off with her dog as the thief screamed at her.
Barclay says she reported the situation to the police, but officers usually treat dog thefts similar to phone thefts, so they don’t get resolved quickly. As it turns out, dog thefts have increased by 20% in the last year, so Barclay advises everyone to be extra careful when taking their dogs outside. Unfortunately, many families with lost dogs aren’t quite as lucky.
Watch Barclay’s Interview Here:
H/T: express.co.uk
Featured Image: Eco’s Army Facebook
Toledo, United States.
