London bus dog Boston reunited with family

A smiley Boston is reunited with his owner Paulina Rybak

An adventurous dog who found his way onto a London bus has been reunited with his owner six days after he went missing.

Four-year-old Boston was thought to have been abandoned on the number 158 bus on the evening of 28 April.

He spent the night on the bus as driver Amos Paul Mak launched an appeal on Facebook to get him home.

The Staffordshire bull terrier has now been reunited with "delighted" owner Paulina Rybak.

Ms Rybak, who is mum to Filip, 8, and Zofia, 3, said he went missing during a walk on Francis Road, Leyton, east London.

"It was only a few seconds and he was gone. We didn't see him. I started looking everywhere," she said.

Ms Rybak contacted her vet and Newham Council to report Boston missing - but found him after seeing an Evening Standard story on the appeal.

Boston is now back home with his best friends Filip, 8, and Zofia, 3

The pair were reunited after checks were made to make sure Ms Rybak is Boston's owner.

"I was so happy," she said. "When people lose their dogs it can be very difficult to find them.

"I don't know how he got on the bus, he is a bit scared of buses."

"We have had him since he was six weeks old, he and my daughter are best friends."

A happy Boston with Abi McEwan and Tina Delaney from Newham Council's animal welfare team

A Newham Council spokesperson said their animal welfare team took care of Boston over the weekend while they tried to track down his owner.

"This incident should remind all dog owners of the importance of microchipping," the spokesperson said.

"If Boston had been microchipped, which is now a legal requirement, then it would have been much quicker and easier for him to have been returned to his correct owner. "

Boston has now been microchipped.