Desperate hunt continues to find sick and elderly golden retriever who went missing in Milton Keynes five days ago

A family is appealing for the public's help to find their much-loved sick and elderly dog called Willow.

The large golden retriever has never been away from her family in all her nine years of life. But on Saturday lunchtime she wandered out of the New Bradwell house while the bins were being put out.

The last sighting of her on CCTV shows her pottering around the garden and normally she would return to the house shortly afterwards.

But this time she didn't - and there has been no sign of her since,

"She is a VERY poorly, elderly, spayed retriever," said her owner, who lives in Chipperfield Close.

They are hoping somebody has taken Willow in and has not seen the pleas on social media for her return. Alternatively, if she has been stolen, they are hoping the thief will let her go on the grounds that she cannot be bred from and is too sick to sell.

The family also have a rescue dog called Charlie and normally he and Willow are inseparable.

"She has never been away from Charlie since we rescued him five years ago, and has not been away from her family for more than four hours (on 15 occasions), in nine years. She is as desperate to get back to her family as we are to get her back," said the owner,

Willow's disappearance has been logged with every conceivable authority including TVP Milton Keynes DogLost.co.uk, MK Council, SKA Dog Wardens and Vets Now.

Posters have been put up all over the area and drone searches have been carried out. But sadly there have been no confirmed sighting of Willow.

"Our hearts have been shattered into millions of pieces. We can’t sleep, we don’t eat unless our friends make us. We can’t concentrate or focus. Not knowing is truly the worst thing in the world," said her owners, who have thanked people who are searching for Willow,

"We are relying on the love and support of strangers whom we’ve never met, but have opened their hearts, given their time and humbled us beyond belief.

"We are broken, but we will never give up hope. Nine years is not enough time. We want more time Willow and we will have it. Of that I am eternally hopeful."

If you can help return Willow please call Vets Now on 01908 417312, Milton Keynes police station on 0845 8 505 505 or Dog Lost UK on 0844 800 3220.