On Thursday afternoon, she received a call she had been hoping for. A woman named Summer, who works with Bay of Islands Animal Rescue, contacted her to say the dogs were being handed over by an anonymous person who wanted them returned to their rightful owner.
The dogs had been missing two full days. Slessor said her reunion with Bella, Empress, and Pablo the following morning was an emotional one.
“It was amazing. They were so excited to see me,” she said. “Summer could tell straight away I was their owner – their whole attitude changed as soon as they saw me.”
Pablo (left), Empress, and Bella (right) have returned home.
While waiting at the meeting point, Summer was approached by two people who recognised the dogs from Slessor’s online posts and questioned her about them.
Slessor said she hoped Pablo and Empress had not mated, but thought Pablo would have been too stressed.
However, he immediately relaxed once he saw Slessor and “became himself again”.
She planned to take them for their usual 4km walk, give them a bath, and cook them their favourite warm meal of mince, rice and vegetables, Slessor said.
Her fourth dog – a bull terrier called Cuba – had been “moody” on his own and would no doubt be thrilled to have his canine pals home again, Slessor said.
French bulldogs are favoured by thieves as they are small, relatively quiet, and easy to transport, Slessor said.
However, hers would have been difficult for a thief to hide as all were microchipped and Pablo is particularly distinctive because of his floppy ears.
Slessor said she was grateful for the power of social media and hoped the attention around her case would encourage people to keep sharing posts about other missing dogs.
While breeds such as Staffordshire bull terriers, bull terriers and pitbull-type dogs are most commonly associated with illegal dog fighting, animal welfare groups say thieves may target any breed for breeding, resale or other criminal purposes, making it difficult to determine the motive behind individual thefts.
The Tindall family, of Ruakākā, are missing their Staffordshire bull terrier Buddy, who they suspect might have been opportunistically stolen.
Tauranga woman Amanda Hacche’s beloved dogs Cash and Chilli have also gone missing.
A family in Ruakākā have also launched a massive social media campaign as they search for their 4-year-old Staffordshire bull terrier Buddy, who disappeared on July 4 after escaping through a damaged section of fencing on Saturday afternoon.
Owner Erin Tindall said she believed Buddy was most likely stolen opportunistically by a passing motorist.
“The worst part is just not knowing if he’s safe,” Tindall said.
Her young children are struggling without their morning cuddles on the couch with him and say they feel cold without their dog “to snuggle up to”, Tindall said.
Slessor said her thoughts also went out to Tauranga woman Amanda Hacche whose Staffordshire bull terriers Cash and Chilli vanished from her Oropi property on June 4 and are feared stolen.
Her family has hired a private investigator and offered a $20,000 reward, but the dogs have not been found.
Sarah Curtis is a news reporter for the Northern Advocate, focusing on a wide range of issues. She has nearly 20 years’ experience in journalism, most of which she spent reporting on the courts in Gisborne and the East Coast.