An owner who had given up her stolen dog as lost for good has had an emotional reunion... SIX YEARS on.

A bizarre set of circumstances led to Jean Muslun being reunited with her beloved dog Libby.

The rescue mastiff cross even remembered her nickname from six years earlier - after being snatched during a walk on Ramsgate promenade.

Their story starts during an afternoon walk on Mother's Day 2006, when Libby was out playing ball when she chased after another dog.

A search along the beach, seafront and around the town revealed nothing - and a call from a man who claimed to have seen her in a park led to a dead end.

Jean contacted the dog warden and the police and postered the length and breadth of Ramsgate.

Libby was featured in the local papers and national volunteer organisation,
DogLost, offered help and support to Jean and her family.

The months turned to years and nothing more was heard of Libby, despite Jean’s search.

She said: “I used to look at all the found, lost and reunited dogs on DogLost and just cry my eyes out.”

"i had to cuddle her just to make sure i wasn’t dreaming: it was as though all my christmases
had come at once" – libby's owner, jean maslun

But, years later, Jean got the call she desperately needed, when Libby's 'owner' died and she was taken to a Blackheath vet's.

Jean, from Ramsgate, said: “Apparently the person who had had Libby had died and his neighbours revealed to his girlfriend that they believed Libby had been stolen.

"She was so concerned that she took Libby to be scanned.”

The microchip revealed that Jean was the real owner.

When the reunion took place and Jean called Libby, she wagged her tail. “Then,” said Jean, “I called her by her nickname Libby Doo and she got really excited.

"Returning home she seemed to recognise the family and went straight to my bedroom and onto the bed. The next morning I had to cuddle her just to make sure I wasn’t dreaming: It was as though all my Christmases
had come at once.”

The reunion was particularly poignant as Jean’s other rescue dog, Brody, a Staffordshire bull terrier cross had become gravely ill and was put to sleep just 13 days earlier.

A check-up at the vet revealed Libby was a little underweight but had come to no harm during her ordeal.