A two-year-old girl “squealed for joy” after builders found her family’s rare-breed pet dog which is believed to have been stolen.

Georgina Russell was devastated along with sister, Katie, 11, brother Joshua, eight, and mum Michaela Russell, when Samson went missing on Bank Holiday Monday.

Mrs Russell last saw the Alaskan malumute in the garden of their home in Crestwood Close, Bierley, Bradford.

She said the family were “very, very pleased” last night when the builders, who found him in Nelson Street, in Bradford city centre, returned the cherished pet.

“The kids are overjoyed,” she said. “They couldn’t believe their eyes when they opened the car door and he jumped out. The youngest one squealed with delight.”

After discovering Samson was missing, the mother-of-three reported him to the police and put out Facebook alerts in the hope of tracing him.

Mrs Russell said she believed Samson had been “stolen to order” and that a tall Asian man had been seen walking a dog like Samson on a lead nearby.