WHEN Magpie the Jack Russell went missing, her owners were distraught.

The Moritz family searched for hours on end, desperately scouring the area for miles around trying to find their beloved 18-month-old pet.

But they were not alone in their frantic search – being joined by an extra-special helper, their cat Calico, or ‘Cally’.

The moggie has been best friends with ‘Maggie’ since they were introduced into the Welham Green family’s home at the same time, when both were very young.

And when the pup disappeared, Cally put her pet detective skills to the test.

Elise Moritz, 16, said: “She walked around for ages with us trying to find her.

“She was sniffing around everywhere; she must have came about four miles.”

The hunt proved unsuccessful, though, and Maggie remains missing.

Elise, a Bishop’s Hatfield Girls’ School pupil, said Cally hadn’t been the same since.

“They were really close, they used to play around together all the time and she used to wake up Maggie by licking her on the face. They were very cute together.

“Now though Cally hardly goes out anymore and she just sleeps a lot.”

The pup, which was wearing a pink collar with a heart on it, went missing by the community centre in the village when it was going for a walk with Elise’s mum Isabel.

Elise added: “She wasn’t the type of dog to need a leash. One minute she was with my mum the next as my mum turned round she had gone.

“She had never done anything like this before.

“We think she may have been stolen.”

Magpie is a small black and white Jack Russell, with little brown patches above her eyes, a long (undocked) tail and white paws.

If you have seen her or know of her wherebouts contact our newsdesk on 01707 384180.