A woman whose pet dog was stolen believes he was taken to be used in illegal dog fighting.

Amy Walker, 24, said she had been approached by a man who was staying at the traveller site in Coach Road, Baildon, who asked her if she would be interested in using her Japanese Akita Charlie in an illegal dog fight.

She refused, but two days later three-year-old Charlie disappeared from the family’s garden off West Lane, where he had been tethered.

Miss Walker said: “Two days prior to him being stolen, I was approached by a man in his late 30s or early 40s from the gipsy site asking about dog fighting.

“I was having a bit of a chat and he just said Charlie was a nice dog and, eventually, he asked if I would ever be interested in dog fighting.

“I said ‘absolutely not’ and walked away quite quickly.

“I’m absolutely distraught. So is my partner and the children. There’s not a day since he went that I’ve not cried.”

Charlie went missing at about 10.30am last Tuesday.

He was tied up outside the house and when Miss Walker went to check, all she found was his discarded collar on the ground.

The eight-stone pedigree dog – valued at £1,000 – is distinctive because of his white coat, white eye lashes and a pink nose.

Charlie has been a member of the family since being bought as a puppy in 2007.

Miss Walker has informed the PDSA, RSPCA and the police and is circulating images of Charlie with her family and friends on Facebook.

Since his disappearance, friends have told her they had seen Charlie at the travellers’ site but were unwilling to approach him.

“We just hope to get Charlie back safe and sound,” she said. “He’s like a child to me. I would do absolutely anything to get him back.”

West Yorkshire Police are investigating.

l Three robbers used a Japanese Akita dog as a weapon to get into a house in Allerton, Bradford.

They launched the dog at the female householder when she opened the door of her house in Rhodesway on Friday afternoon. She was left with minor injuries.

The men, who were all Asian and in their late teens, pushed past the woman and made off with electrical goods from her home.