Beloved therapy dog Bob goes missing near River Tyne at Corbridge

A family has made an appeal to find its beloved therapy dog which has gone missing.

Cockapoo Bob went missing along the River Tyne on Thursday 15 June and has not been seen since.

He is a therapy dog for 15-year-old Oliver Voysey, from Riding Mill, Northumberland, who is devastated by his disappearance and has been struggling to eat and sleep.

The pair are described as having a "special and unbreakable" bond.

Oliver, who raised £250,000 to help save the Calvert Trust's outdoor activity centre in the Lake District in 2021, has a brain injury which means he has sight loss, cerebral palsy, epilepsy, autism and learning difficulties. 

Bob, who is deaf, has not been seen since he ran off after getting spooked by another dog on the south side of the River Tyne at Corbridge.

Sarah Voysey, Oliver's mum, said: "It's day six now - he's just vanished.

"It's possible he's still on the river bank, or he's got lost somewhere else. Or someone has found him and not returned him. We've got to keep every option open and get him back to Oliver.

"He says it is horrendous. He's devastated."

Since Bob went missing, an online group has been set up on Facebook so people can get in touch with the family with any information or sightings.

People are asked not to call, chase, grab or whistle at Bob because he is nervous and will run away.

In a video posted online, Ms Voysey said: "Bob stays by Oliver's side in his wheelchair all the time. Oliver strokes him when he is worried and that makes him feel better.

"Oliver is very poorly in hospital of the time and Bob is the thing that make's Oliver happy. Without Bob, Oliver is so sad and he's really struggling to eat and sleep and he's having seizures.

"Please help bring Bob home again and make Oliver feel better again."

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