A FAMILY is mourning the loss of two much-loved pets after they returned from a holiday to find that one had died and one had gone missing.

Ian and Norma Cordner gave all their Syrian and Russian hamsters, 23 in total, to Pets Plus on Milngavie Road, Bearsden, which offers a boarding service for small animals, just before Christmas and headed off to spend the festive season in Gran Canaria.

When they came back to pick them up they were told that one, a male Syrian called Merlin, had been killed by his brother, Lancelot, and a female Syrian, Dixie, was also missing.

Norma and her daughter, Lucy (17) were very fond of Dixie as she had a ‘fantastic nature’ and she was friendly and tame. She was pretty – black and white with long hair – and she’d had two litters and she’d run up Norma’s legs and sit on her knee, she also responded when her name was called.

Ian claims that when Norma asked where Dixie was, the shopowner, James Holton, looked blankly at her and said ‘he did not know, they had all been there on Boxing Day’.

The pet owner said: “My wife and daughter then asked if they could look for the missing animal which they did with no help from James who stood and watched although he said he would check the store room later and set a trap.

“When we phoned the shop the following morning, last Wednesday, we were informed that he had ‘searched the store room fully and the animal was not there’ when we asked if we could come in to double check we were abruptly told no, that there was no point.

“On again stressing that the loss of the animal was causing great distress in the family and that we would really like to come in and check ourselves to see if we could find it we were told that we had signed a disclaimer at the time of boarding and that was the end of the matter, no apology, nothing.”

The family, who have been regular customers at Pets Plus and friends with the owner since he was a young boy, have refused to pay the boarding charges and will now be taking their custom elsewhere.

Ian added: “We are all absolutely gutted as we’d assumed he would take care of our animals.

“We all expect pets to die but to lose one whilst in boarding and then be unable to look for it is not easy, and to then be treated with indifference by the shop owner is inexcusable. He still hasn’t apologised.”

Norma added: “Dixie was part of the family she was my favourite, we are all devastated that she’s gone.”

Pets Plus declined to comment.

If you find Dixie please contact the family by e-mailing iansc@talktalk.net

Tags : Pets
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