Double Bay dog trainer offers $10000 for return of stolen puppy Tyson the pug

A DOUBLE BAY dog trainer has stumped up $10,000 as a reward for anyone who brings back a four-month-old pug, Tyson, who went missing from his Guilfoyle Ave home.

Former security guard turned dog trainer David Churchill, said he was devastated when he came home to find the pup that he had been training was missing, and his 12-year-old border collie Lucy had been tied up to the washing machine.

Mr Churchill was caring for the dog and training it while his owner was overseas.

'It was the Thursday before Christmas, it was market day, I had to go into town so I left the dogs in the back yard as I normally do.'

When he got back, Tyson was gone.

'I got back at about 11.30am, I found my dog out the back tied up and I thought my flat mate might have had the pug inside having a cuddle in the bed,' he said.

But it was not the case. Tyson's owner, who is on a sailing holiday around the USA and Caribbean, was upset by the news, Mr Churchill said.

'I felt awful about it, I train dogs for a living ... I have never had anything like this happen before in my life.

'I have only taken on one dog since, and that was only because they had booked him in months in advance ... I just feel so bad about it ... I just feel responsible, it is heartbreaking.'

Mr Churchill said the dog had to be stolen, and he believes it could be part of a spate of thefts.

'I got a call from a man named Andrew who lives in Cross St that had his cat stolen and he is aware of someone else who has had a dog go missing recently,' he said.

'The place next door has been on sale for a while, and someone had actually been there inspected the place.

'They had a big stag horn sitting on their wall, it was huge, and that went missing at the same time, so I don't know, maybe they were stealing that and they saw the dogs barking and popped their head over the fence and thought, I'll grab that.'

Mr Churchill said there will be no questions asked, just $10,000 in the pocket of whoever returns Tyson.

'I am doing everything I can,' he said. 'Even if someone knows who has got him, they can grab him, bring him back and I'll give them the $10,000, no questions asked.'

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