Dog owner leaps into river to save pet after sick scammers demand 'ransom'

VIDEO footage captured the incredible moment a woman waded through a river to reach her small dog who had been missing for four days.

- JAMES HOLT

Little brown Dachshund Violet was out on one of her regular walks around Reddish Vale country park in Stockport with dog walker Madeleine when she suddenly walked off and disappeared.

Distraught owner Alifiya Mohamedbhai was then targeted by a vile scammer who falsely claimed to have Violet and threatened to kill her if she didn't hand over £250. But as she started to lose hope after days of searching, the mum spotted her 'baby' hunched over in the river's embankment with her tail still wagging.

Alifiya, 33, told the M.E.N.: "It's incredible. There isn't a mark on her apart from a sore ear and paw. It is insane. She is such a quiet dog and was out on the same walk that she does every day, and has done for two-and-a-half years with my dog walker and best friend.

"Nobody knows what spooked her or what happened - she doesn't wander off to explore and always walks by your feet, but she must've turned and just walked off the other way." Mum-of-one Alifiya, from Burnage, said she remained calm at first, confident that the Apple AirTag fitted to Violet's collar would help reunite them.