Heartbroken dog owner asks for NI public to help her ‘Bring Molly Home’

Ciara Eichholz, 22, said her beloved springer spaniel Molly went missing on July 17, 2020 after they let her out to run around their garden,

Ciara, who hopes to study a Masters degree in Child Development said Molly and their other dog (Also a springer spaniel) Milly had gone out together.

“Milly came back but Molly didn’t which was very unusual for her,” she said.

“And we have not seen her since.”

She said that in the “first lockdown the weather was very good and we walked the dogs in a local forest and they loved swimming and running”.

“They had the best life ever since the start of lockdown,” she added.

“So it was so horrific for us to think of where Molly was after she was stolen.

“And we can’t imagine what she has been going through.

“She is a really shy and timid dog, much more reserved than Milly.

“I just hate to think how she would fare out in poor conditions and you can only imagine the conditions stolen animals are kept in.”

Ciara said around the time of her disappearance there had been “the theft of dogs around my area”.

“Stealing dogs is huge business since the lockdown started as people had time to get a dog,” added Ciara from Co Tipperary.

“It was a case of supply and demand.

“But even though Molly looked young she is nine-years-old.

“She is also spayed so they would not have been able to breed her.”

The Gardai have been asked for a comment on the theft of Molly and have not yet replied.

Ciara who has relentlessly posted on Facebook about her search for Molly - and even offered a £4,000 reward for finding her - said a few months after Molly was stolen she tracked her down to Bristol.

“We know the person who stole her and we were told what happened after that,” she said.

“She was moved over to Bristol at that stage but she could be anywhere now - Northern Ireland, England or even back in the south right now.

“That is why I need people to be alert to the dogs they see.

“A lot of animals are moved between Ireland and England.

“The frustrating thing is that we got these anonymous calls to tell us where she was - but we only found out after it happened.

“But I suppose at least we know something. Many people lose their dogs and hear nothing.”

Now I just want to keep “people looking for Molly as it is not beyond the realms of possibility that she is in Northern Ireland”.

“We are just trying to keep people looking out for her everywhere.

“We just need people to keep an eye out for Molly.”

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