A WOMAN is appealing for the return of a dog which is trained to be with her partially-sighted daughter after it was seen being bundled into a car in Snodland, near Rochester.

Paddy, an 11-month-old lurcher, wandered away from his owner, Jayne Stevenson, while they were walking in nearby Halling at lunchtime on Sunday, March 24.

Two witnesses who responded to an appeal to find the dog both said they had seen a black lurcher being put into a white or cream Rover 216 on the A228 Snodland bypass just minutes after Mrs Stevenson realised Paddy was missing. Now she is desperate to track down the people in the car so she can reunite Paddy with her 11-year-old daughter Naomi.

Mrs Stevenson, of Constitution Hill, Snodland, said: "Naomi was ill as a child and lost 80 per cent of her vision. Paddy is not a guide dog but he has been trained to be around her. We picked Paddy out because he is quite a laid back puppy. We trained him to be careful around her so he doesn't jump up or knock her over."

She added: "Every night he sits in her lap while she watches television. There is no way we could replace him and she really misses him."

Paddy has white paws, a white chest and a grey muzzle. He was not wearing a collar but may have had a black lead on when he went missing.

Anyone who has seen Paddy or knows where he is can contact Jayne Stevenson on 01634 242997.