In the run to Christmas, the family offered a reward of £4000 on the Facebook page 'Bring Finn Home', run by friend Debbie Gough. But the family were devastated to receive a call demanding three times the amount - or the dog would be 'hung from the nearest tree'.
Joy told the Irish Mirror : “A man rang around lunchtime and demanded €15,000 (£13,000) by the end of the day or else he would hang Finn from the nearest tree.
“He sounded hysterical and I couldn’t reason with him at all, he just wanted the money immediately, and now I am in a terrible state as I don’t know whether it was a genuine ransom demand or someone's sick joke.
“There is a reward on offer, it started off small enough but as we got more desperate to have Finn home for Christmas we managed to get €5,000 (£3,000) in place.
“I tried explaining this to the guy but he just wanted three times that amount and wouldn’t listen to me at all.” Devastated Joy recalled her horror when she first discovered Finn was missing.
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| They threatened to hang the beloved pet if the money wasn't paid |
“I discovered his collar in the garden, it had been cut clean in half so it came off and there was then no way of anyone identifying him, and at that point I just knew he had been stolen.
“We launched the Bring Finn Home Facebook page but until yesterday we had heard nothing. Whoever it was that rang should know that the €5,000 reward stands, but €15,000 is too much.
“It’s a horrible situation we are in as we don’t know how serious the threat to kill Finn is.
“We have of course notified the Gardai and I’d beg anyone with any information to get in touch with them or contact us trough the Facebook page, we just want our dog home safe.”
