A QUARTET of dogs who went missing from a farm near Worcester have been found safe and healthy.

Francis Shortall, who raised the Springer Spaniel puppies, said "all's well that ends well" after a worrying month.

Mr Shortall, aged 75, admitted to your Worcester News he became increasingly concerned for the welfare of the pups who were stolen from the farm near Suckley on February 4.

There was no news for three weeks and he feared that the puppies might have been put down.

However, when he got a phone call from the police in Cheshire last week his worries evaporated.

The quartet were found around Cheshire and Manchester and a delighted Mr Shortall said all four have already been rehomed.

"I'm delighted and they're now all in lovely homes with lovely people," he said,

"All's well that ends well, but of course I was concerned that they might have been put down or gone somewhere where they might not have been treated well.

"But they're all with nice people which is great."

The puppies found loving homes with the people who had bought them, not knowing they were stolen.

Because the dogs were chipped, they came up on a national database when taken to the vets by their new owners.

Mr Shortall said: "I was absolutely elated when I got the phone call from the police [to say one of the puppies was found safe] and I couldn't believe it.

"That's when I thought they were all going to turn up and it was fantastic.

"Then when I got a call from the vet who had realised one of the dogs was chipped she was in tears and said that in 15 years it was the first stolen dog she had found safe."

Mr Shortall paid tribute to microchipping service Petlog, which allowed him to track down the puppies.

He urged any other breeders to make use of the service so they also have a safety net if they find themselves in a similar situation.

The one remaining puppy from the litter in Mr Shortall's care has been christened Lucky.

* West Mercia Police are yet to confirm if anyone has been arrested in connection with the incident.