Tiny Stanley is reunited with his owners after being lost for six days during heatwave in Milton Keynes

The pint-sized miniature pinscher, who is 13, was staying with family in Milton Keynes while his London owners Lucy and Tobie Snowdowne went on holiday.

But on Wednesday, during the heatwave, he slipped out of their Middleton home and disappeared.

The distraught family contacted Dog Squad MK, an action group made up of more than 1,600 volunteers who pitch in to help track down lost dogs all over Milton Keynes.

"We set up a Facebook group called Help Find Stanley from Middleton' and we had four sightings of him that day," said Dog Squad spokesman Bev Cook-Abbott.

The following day temperatures reached a sizzling 36 degrees, a dangerous heat for dogs to be outside in, and concerns for little Stanley's welfare grew.

His owners returned from holiday to join the search, but still Stanley remained missing.

After a possible sighting at the Open University's Walton campus, night vision cameras and humane traps were put out.

But by the weekend there was still no news.

"The MK public really got behind the search and everywhere we went throughout the Ouzel Valley Park there were people aware of the lost dog and looking for him," said Bev. "There were about 25 people out on Sunday putting posters up throughout the park and surrounding estates. His FB group reached 361 members and was shared allover MK."

Yesterday (Monday) a man out walking his dog spotted Stanley and reported it immediately to the Dog Squad,

"His owners got there within about half an hour but there was no sign," said Bev.

."Then Another dog walker went into an adjoining field where she found Stanley fast asleep. She just picked him up!"

Apart from a sunburnt nose, Stanley is "absolutely fine" and none the worse for his six day ordeal in extreme heat.

Bev said: "He's had an eventful life. He had.heart surgery at nine months old, got lost in East London for four days when he was three, survived an accidental pain killer overdose following dental surgery a couple of years ago and has now survived six days during some of the hottest temperatures in a completely foreign environment and lived to tell the tale."

She has thanked all the people who joined in the search.

"We owe a huge debt of gratitude to so many total strangers without whom Stanley would never have been found," she said.