ANIMAL lovers have joined forces to help find Scruffy the dog who has been missing over two weeks.

Owner Daniel Balberson, from Winton, is desperate to be re-united with his “teddy bear” terrier cross. He became lost after being taken out for a walk at Meyrick Park on Tuesday, October 24.

A frantic search was carried out that evening, but there was no trace of Scruffy. He was reported missing the next day and an appeal was posted on social media, including Facebook group Animals Lost Found Needing Help Dorset.

Hundreds of leaflets and posters have also been sent out in the Winton and Charminster areas, but so far there has only been one possible sighting of Scruffy.

“The online appeal has just exploded. Local people said they’d be on the lookout. For some reason, Scruffy has caught people’s attention,” Daniel said.

“He was taken out for a walk with my flatmate’s dog at Meyrick Park. As soon as the car door opened, he shot out – he must have smelt a fox. They were waiting to hear him barking, but after 10 minutes didn’t hear anything. That night, we must have circuited the park two or three times but we still didn’t hear anything.”

Scruffy, who is around seven or eight years old, is a rescue dog. He is described as “very distinctive” with big brown eyes, a short tail and a unique bark. “People say he looks like a teddy bear,” Daniel said.

Scruffy was wearing a collar when he went missing, but it might have come off since. He is microchipped.

A member of the public reported a sighting of a dog resembling Scruffy on Saturday, October 28, at Cemetery Junction. “By the time I’d rushed up there, there was no sight of him. We had an unconfirmed sighting near the junction of Glenferness Avenue and East Avenue recently.

“He’s not a straight-walking dog, he meanders. I’m of the opinion that he was stuck down a fox hole and found his way out of Meyrick Park, got confused and wandered into the cemetery.

“I’m getting around four hours sleep a night. He normally sleeps at the end of my bed. I’ve been knocking on doors, looking around the park. I’ve walked through every single bush and know where all the fox holes are. We’ve checked as much as we could.

“We’ve had a lot of help from local people. We’re asking anybody who thinks they’ve seen him to call us on 07850333922.” / 07999903465.

“Also, if anybody notices a neighbour with a new dog, or one that’s taking a dog out at strange times of the day, it could be Scruffy.”

Visit the Find Scruffy Facebook page at facebook.com/letsfindscruffy or follow @letsfindscruffy on Twitter.