Body of beloved dog 'found dumped in river' after disappearing while out on walk

08 September 2023 , 21:54

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Sapphire "Saffi" vanished while on a walk in Footscray Meadows, Sidcup (Image: Missing Paw)

The remains of a family's beloved Staffordshire bull terrier has been found dumped in a river two weeks after she went missing.

Sapphire, who was known as "Saffi" to her heartbroken family, disapperaed on August 20 while out for a walk in Footscray Meadows in Sidcup, south-east London. After racing off, the family desperately tried to track her down but she couldn't be found. The pooch was found in a river close to the place she went missing, but a Metropolitan Police investigation is currently underway amid suspicions that she was dumped.

The Missing Paw Team UK - which helps finding missing dogs in the boroughs of Bexley, Greenwich and Dartford - carried out extensive searches of the "vast" area where Saffi went missing. The organisation's found Vicki Hudson said: “We did an extensive search of the riverbed, and also the area in the Footscray Meadows. It's quite a vast area with 16 exits so we had lots of volunteers on board.

“We had drones up. We had a heat-seeking thermal imaging camera out which one of our colleagues at another organisation used. Essentially, we did everything we could to try and find Saffi. She just vanished into thin air.”

Tragically, Saffi's owners even camped out by the spot she vanished, hoping she would return to the scent of her toys and blankets that they laid out for her. The family, Missing Paw and other locals thoroughly searched the area, but couldn't find her, with it looking like she might have been stolen. After 11 days of fruitless hunting, they reported the incident as theft.

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Just two days later, the dog's battered body - which had severe wounds, multiple bone fractures and puncture wounds - was found in a shallow patch of the river by a member of the public.

Nikki told the News Shopper: “The injuries do not seem consistent with drowning and then being in the water for 14 days decomposing. She has significant injuries that just can’t be explained and can only have been inflicted by human hands.”

Anyone with further information are being asked to contact police on 101 quoting 5618/20AUG. You can also report information anonymously by contact Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or visit Crimestoppers.org.uk.

Ryan Fahey