A UK teenager has been left heartbroken and helpless after a stranger who found her missing puppy is refusing to give it back.
Melissa Baylis only had her Jack Russell Chihuahua Maltese cross, Nelly, for one week when the pup disappeared from her backyard without a trace at her family's Manchester home.
It was initially believed Nelly may have escaped through a gap in the fence, but upon further inspection, Baylis doesn't think an escape was possible as the gap was only the "width of three fingers".
Baylis says she "can't stop worrying" about Nelly and after discovering her garden bin had been moved she began to suspect her little puppy had been stolen.
After posting a plea to Facebook in hopes someone had seen her, Baylis was contacted by a Facebook user claiming to have Nelly and refusing to give her back.
"I believe you have lost your puppy," the message read, alongside images of Nelly at the strangers' house.
"The puppy was found safe and due to irresponsible owners, it has left me no choice to find it a safe and caring home."
The Facebook user then deactivated their account, leaving Baylis with only screenshots.
A relative on Facebook says Baylis has been "seriously upset," as police fail to help her get her puppy back
"The police have been no help," Baylis alleged in a Facebook update.
A Greater Manchester Police spokesperson told Manchester Evening News that enquiries into the incident are "ongoing" and had no further information.
Baylis rejected claims she was an irresponsible owner: "We have had dogs all of our life and we also have a 9-year-old Jack Russell Chihuahua in the house since a puppy that has never managed to escape."
A spokesperson from the RSPCA, the UK's animal welfare charity, told Manchester Evening News they aren't able to assist with pet theft but urges all dog owners to get their puppy's microchipped.
“This sounds very distressing for the owner of the puppy," they added.
