A DISTRAUGHT mum-of-two has likened the disappearance of her beloved dog to losing one of her own children - and made a desperate plea for her safe return.

Tallulah, a one year-old Staffordshire Bull Terrier bitch, disappeared from the backgarden at her home in Marsdon Road, Clayhall on Saturday July 18.

Her owners, the Gale family, searched the surrounding streets for hours in a vain attempt to track down the fugitive pooch - but found no sign of her.

They have since offered a £1,000 reward for her safe return.

Joanne Gale said Tallulah’s disappearance was like losing a child - and is terrified that she has been stolen to be used for breeding.

She said: “She was my baby. I never thought I could be so attached to a dog.

“I would be so upset if I found out that she was being badly treated.

“The night before she went missing there were two men peering into our garden, so we are worried they may have taken her.

"My husband was so concerned that he took down the licence plate on their van.

"We ended up finding it about a week later. It had been abandoned.

“We always had people coming up to us and asking whether we wanted to breed her, but she is spayed, and we wouldn’t want that anyway.

“We just desperately want to get her back safe.”

The two men seen acting suspiciously the night before Tallulah's disappearance, were both white, and thought to have Irish accents.

Anyone with information should call John Gale on: 07740 817 192.