Late in 2009, Missy the two year old tongue-thrusting epileptic chihuahua had only recently been voted Dog of the Month in the polo sports world in Polo Magazine, when thieves with a crowbar wrenched open a hired van and stole Missy from the parking lot of an Ikea store.

Her owner Becky Simpson, a polo luxury goods executive, offered a one-thousand pound reward for Missy's return. "Missy's like a child to me and worth the £1,000 reward to get her back. I've had her since she was 10 weeks old. I'm worried because she's on medication for epilepsy, so it's urgent I get her back, otherwise she'll collapse and could have fits."

Although the dog was very well known to thousands of people and the theft had a great deal of news coverage, Missy was never returned. Sad, sad.