HOW far would you go for a lost pet? One owner said he will do “whatever it takes” to get back his beloved spaniel that went missing 12 days ago.

Clive Denney’s English Springer Spaniel, Molly, went missing on October 28 while they were walking in Stebbing, sparking a huge hunt and a �5,000 reward for whoever could bring his “irreplaceable” dog home.

He told the Broadcast it was “like losing a child”. Mr Denney and Molly were out walking near Lucas Farm when the six-year-old spaniel shot off into the hedge line. It was nothing out of the ordinary but when Mr Denney went to get her, she had vanished.

“I started to panic when I couldn’t find her. We called her for an hour but there was no sign of her,” he said. “This has been my worst nightmare. We’ve had Molly since she was a puppy – you could put her in the palm of your hand when we first got her – it’s like someone has taken your child. I have an empty feeling, I don’t sleep at night, I’ve lost my appetite.

“My wife and I are both off the walls – I’d do whatever it takes to get her back.”

Mr Denney and his wife Linda have gone to extraordinary lengths to find Molly – taking out adverts in newspapers and radio, using Facebook and Twitter, conducting aerial searches and hiring a tracker dog to sniff out the scent.

“The tracker is positive that it has her scent and my wife is positive, too, but they haven’t found Molly yet. We have also had a few leads around Shalford but we haven’t found her. We have also had sighting in Godfrey Way, Willow Road and the Woodlands Park area in Dunmow.”

The family has not been alone in its search for Molly. Anguish has been felt throughout the community as dog owners and farmers have selflessly given up their time to find her.

“The public have been phenomenal,” said Mr Denney. “A lot of farmers have taken time off work and dog owners have met up to scour the area to find Molly – it has been humbling to work alongside everybody.”

If anybody has seen Molly, pictured, they can contact 07710 809763, 01799 510756 or 01371 856739.