Oxford missing dog Toffee 'may have boarded train'

• 2 hours ago
 
• From the sectionOxford

Missing dog service Doglost said the response to Toffee's disappearance had been "stunning"

A search is under way for a dog that slipped the lead of its blind owner before possibly boarding a train.

Toffee, a Labrador Retriever, was last seen at Oxford railway station on Monday evening.

Missing dog service DogLost said there had been thousands of shares online, including one by Graham Norton.

Owner Ian Francis, who believes the dog is still in the Oxford area, said: "It's a great response, but there's still no sign of Toffee."

DogLost described the outpouring of concern from the general public as "stunning".

'Unbreakable bond'

A spokesman said Toffee, which is microchipped, had either stowed away on a train or was still in the area of the station.

Mr Francis, who is registered blind and also has heart problems, said Toffee, which is being trained as a cardiac alert dog, is normally always with him when he goes out.

The assistance dog slipped his lead at Oxford railway station

He said: "I was going through a depression, I wasn't going out enough... and Toffee, ever since I had him, absolutely comes everywhere with me.

"When you bond with a dog, and you rely on a dog so much, you get this bond and it's unbreakable. The dog trusts you, you trust the dog.

"It's unfortunate, but no one seems to have seen him, though Twitter has gone crazy, Facebook has gone crazy."

Mr Francis believes if Toffee did not get on a train, then the dog could be in nearby Botley.

"Something must have spooked him we think, because it's just not like Toffee, he's very, very shy," he said.

"I'm pretty sure he would've found somewhere quiet, he will back away from people. He's out there somewhere."

The Labrador Retriever's owner called Toffee "very, very shy"