This little boy thought he had lost his best buddy for good.

Edward Latter, 3, was so distraught when his dog disappeared in December, he sent an urgent letter to Santa Claus asking for help.

Thousands of people joined in the hunt for Morse the ten-month-old border terrier.

Even Simon Cowell got involved by offering a £10,000 reward to anyone who could help find him.

Edward was made to wait a while, but his Christmas wish to be reunited with Morse came true yesterday. And it was adorable.

After seeing him at last, Edward said: ‘We have got Morse back. I can’t believe it, I have my best friend back.

‘It’s too late for Christmas but this is the best present ever.’

It is thought thieves picked up Morse to use as a stud, but somehow he managed to escape.

Edward’s mum and dad, Amanda Hopkins and Richard Latter, had given up hope of finding him, until they got a call on Friday night.

A couple, 20 miles away from their home in Marden, Kent, had found a muddy dog walking through their street and thought it could be Morse.

They took him in, gave him a wash, and called Richard.

He was unsure it was him at first, until he was sent a photo. He then bundled his son and wife into the car and drove to the village of Meopham.

The 40-year-old carpenter said: ‘Me and Amanda were still quite sceptical, but Edward saw him and recognised him straight away.

‘He just said “Is that Morse, is Morse coming home with us.”

‘He was absolutely over the moon.’

As Morse wasn’t responding to his name at first, he was taken to a vet to get his chip scanned, where they found out it was him for sure.

‘We instantly broke down in tears,’ Richard said. ‘I was delirious for a few seconds, it was absolutely wonderful, we were just hugging each other, hugging Edward and hugging the dog.

‘It’s just surreal, I can’t get over it.’

A witness spotted two men bundling Morse into the back of a van five minutes after he darted out of the family home.

‘My gut instinct was he was taken away and used for stud,’ Richard said.

‘That’s why he was clipped and trimmed, they were trying to make him more desirable and better looking to be sold on.

‘He was either sold on and escaped or escaped from them.’

The internet was won over by Edward’s story after the toddler’s letter to Santa was shared online.

It read: ‘Dear Father Christmas, I just want one present for Christmas this year, my dog Morse back.

‘I’ve been a very good boy all year. Thank you, Edward aged two and three quarters.’

Source:
courtesy of METRO

by Joe Roberts

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