'Her eye had practically popped out': Stolen puppy reunited with family after being found abandoned with horrific injury

An astonished family have been reunited with their puppy after it vanished thirteen months ago during a dog walk.

Springer spaniel, Breeze, was only ten-weeks-old when she disappeared on August 13, 2025 at Stratfield Saye, Hampshire. While walking the puppy, her owner, Adam Timms, answered his phone and momentarily turned his back, only to find she was gone.

He said: “A car pulled up and I noticed someone jump in and speed off, tooting the horn at me almost as if to goad me. I knew she’d been taken.

“I reported her stolen but never thought I’d see her again.”

Despite reporting the dog going missing, the part-time gamekeeper and his family thought they would never see Breeze again.

On September 13, Mr Timms received a call from RSPCA animal rescue officer (ARO), Sam Matthews, informing him she had located his missing dog abandoned at a Thames Water treatment site at Shurlock Row, Berkshire.

Breeze had been discovered by a worker with such a severe injury to her eye that it needed to be removed.

Sam said: “A man arrived to start work and found Breeze cowering under some steps. Her eye had practically popped out and it was clear she was very scared. He called us and I travelled to the site - right by the M4 - to help catch her and check her over. She was very friendly but terrified. She’d been loose over the weekend and people had been trying to catch her, so she was shattered and very hungry.

“I scanned her for a microchip and was surprised to find she was chipped and registered to Adam, but had also been flagged as stolen. I called Adam straight away and he was utterly astonished to hear from me. It was so wonderful to be able to reunite them.”

Mr Timms added: “The vet found Breeze had puncture wounds to the side of her face and had suffered a blunt force trauma which had ruptured her eye.

“They don’t believe she’d been hit by a car because she had no other injuries so suspect someone has hit her hard around the head. The vets believed the injury was around 24-hours old.

“I wonder if the puncture wounds were caused by another dog and, as someone has tried to separate them using some sort of implement, she’s been hit in the head. I believe they’ve chosen to dump her instead of paying for veterinary treatment or taking her to a vet where she could be scanned for a chip and identified as stolen.”

There are signs that Breeze has been used for breeding so Adam fears she was stolen with that purpose in mind. But he said she’s otherwise in good condition and is happy to be home.

The 46-year-old said: “Her tail is wagging and she seems to be happy to be home with us and our other dogs. My daughter, Clemmie, is thrilled to have her home.

“I’d seen some posts on social media about an injured spaniel on the loose in Berkshire but I’d thought nothing of it and I didn’t even know what Breeze looked like as an adult. When the RSPCA called me I couldn’t believe it. It’s amazing to have her home.”

Sam added: “Breeze is a prime example of the importance of microchipping. Her chip meant we were able to trace Adam and get her home to him, where she belongs.”