Ballymena: Issy the stolen Scottish dog found in NI

A dog stolen from Scotland a year ago has been returned to her owner after she turned up in Northern Ireland.

Issy was recently found in Ballymena, County Antrim, by council dog wardens.

After tracking details on her microchip, the Bichon Frisé was taken home to Glasgow at the weekend.

During the reunion, her owner Isabella Roden said she felt "really emotional".

Issy and another dog were taken from her garden last May.

Isabella Roden did not believe she would see Issy again after the dog was stolen last year

"I didn't think I would ever get her back; [I thought] that she would be dead," said Isabella.

Nigel Devine from Mid and East Antrim Borough Council phoned Isabella to tell her they found had one of her dogs two weeks ago.

He said the reunion was only possible because of "the joy of microchipping".

"You could hear the emotions down the phone," he said.

Nigel Devine says he and Issy will be friends for a long time

"Since that, on a daily basis I'm getting two, three, four WhatsApp messages from her and photographs of Issy when she was a pup."

He took Issy to the groomers before her sailing home to Scotland on Saturday.

After the emotional reunion, Nigel said: "Now the dog has been passed over I think I have got a friend for a long, long time."

Isabella said it was "absolutely fabulous, magic".

"You don't hear about getting them back."