Stolen dog reunited with owner after a year
A springer spaniel puppy stolen in England a year ago has been found abandoned with a severe eye injury and reunited with her owner, though she lost one eye in the ordeal.
In August 2025, a springer spaniel puppy named Breeze, just 10 weeks old at the time, was stolen from her owner Adam during a walk at Stratfield Saye in Hampshire. Adam recalled a car pulling up, someone jumping out to grab the dog, then speeding off while tooting the horn, seemingly to mock him. He immediately understood the dog had been taken and reported the theft, though he doubted he would ever see her again.
Nearly a year later, earlier this month, Breeze was discovered abandoned near a Thames Water treatment site at Shurlock Row in Berkshire, roughly 32km from where she was originally stolen. A Thames Water employee spotted the dog on 13 September, noting she appeared terrified, and reported the find.
RSPCA animal rescue officer Sam Matthews contacted Adam after Breeze's microchip confirmed her identity and ownership, matching the earlier theft report he had filed. The dog had suffered severe mistreatment during her time away, including an eye injury serious enough that it later had to be surgically removed.
Now 15 months old, Breeze is recovering at home with Adam. The reunion came as a surprise to him, given how long she had been missing and how unlikely he had thought it was that she would ever be found.
