Telford woman's desperate search for beloved pet dog ends in tragedy

Janice Bannister, from Telford, has spent the past week searching for Sylvia, a Japanese Shiba Inu, who disappeared while they were visiting Anglesey on January 17.

And Mrs Bannister even resorted to hiring a helicopter to look for the pet, but the search ended in tragedy when Sylvia's body was found on Saturday at the mainland entrance to the Menai Strait, a few miles across the water from where she'd vanished.

Coastguards said they believe Sylvia may have been cut off by the tide and carried by the current to where she was found.

Mrs Bannister, 58, said: "Sadly, our precious girl lost her life on the treacherous sand banks off Aber Menai. Caught by the tide, she drowned.

"I'm devastated. We all tried so very hard to get her home safe, but it was not to be.

"She was just a lovely girl and we had her since she was a pup. I am so sorry we couldn't save her, but I promised we'd find her and we did. Now she can come home to rest."

Mrs Bannister, who runs a boarding kennel in Telford, lost Sylvia when she was preparing to go for a walk on Newborough beach on the south of the island with eight of her 16 dogs.

She said she started looking as soon as she noticed Sylvia was missing, but couldn't find her. Her plight sparked a huge search, with people coming from as far afield as London, Stoke, Lancashire and the Midlands to help look for her.

She was even contacted by the singer Duffy, who passed on details of people who helped when her own dog went missing.

"I would like to give my heartfelt thanks to my wonderful friends, the Shiba community and the good people of Anglesey," Mrs Bannister said.

"It's been an honour and privilege to have them all by my side this week. Tragedies bring out the very best in people and they were all the best, so caring and supportive. I am indebted to them all for everything they have done for me and Sylvia."