A dog who was found wandering Bradford’s streets after going missing from her home more than a decade ago has been taken back to find her owner – 140 miles away in Norfolk.

Collie-cross Poppet went missing when she was a one-year-old puppy living with her last registered owner in Sedgeford, near the seaside town of Hunstanton.

Now 12, she was found earlier this month by Bradford Council’s dog wardens and when they checked to see if Poppet was microchipped, they discovered she had last been re-homed from the RSPCA Norfolk West branch 11 years ago.

The wardens contacted the number on the microchip and traced Poppet back to branch honorary chairman, Penny Skate, who made a 280-mile round trip from Norfolk to collect her.

Mrs Skate said: “I could not bear to think of Poppet possibly being put to sleep and decided that I would collect her and bring her home to Norfolk.

“She is an older dog, aged about 12, but she is healthy and very affectionate. I think the council were quite surprised we were prepared to travel to Bradford, but I decided I had to do the right thing and give her another chance at life.”

While Mrs Skate was in Bradford, she also agreed to bring back Hannah, a year old English bull terrier, Shellie, a black collie cross puppy and Pub, a brown crossbreed puppy.

They had all been found as strays and their owners couldn’t be found. Mrs Skate said she had not yet been able to find Poppet’s owner.

Anyone interested in giving Poppet, Pud, Shellie or Hannah a new home should contact the RSPCA Norfolk West Branch on (01485) 541141.

Meanwhile, Bradford RSPCA urgently needs more home visitors to help animals at its Mount Street Shelter settle happily into new homes.

Contact (01274) 723063 for more information.