Dog-napper turns out to be plasterer “who couldn’t get over how fat dog was”

A SUSPECTED dog-napper has turned out to be a plasterer who had pulled over to take snaps of a Jack Russell because “he couldn’t get over how fat the dog was”.

Dog owner Kyle Bridon put up a warning post on Facebook last week after spotting a “suspicious” looking van driving around County Durham.

Kyle realised the person in the van had been taking snaps of his pooch, Skye so warned other pet owners online to “be careful”.

However, the van man actually turned out to be 57-year-old plasterer Brian Bainbridge who just could get over how plump the pooch was.

Brian’s son Jack Bainbridge couldn’t believe his eyes when he spotted the warning post about his dad circulating on social media.

The 26-year-old posted a snap of his dad’s photograph of Skye on Facebook on Friday revealing the real reason Brian had pulled over.

Jack, from Winning, County Durham, said: “Right. Just to get things straight this is the dog me dad took a photo of yesterday so some dope spotted and decided to take pictures of me dad’s van and post it all over Facebook telling everyone to watch your dogs basically saying he’s going round pinching dogs. 

“He took the photo cos he couldn’t get over how fat the dog was.

“He’s a plasterer not a dog pincher and if he was to go pinch a dog it wouldn’t be that fat lump.”

Jack’s post immediately went viral and has gained 84,000 likes, 49,000 shares and 34,000 comments from followers who have been left in stitches.

Craig Reynolds said: “Is that a dog or a sheep?

Darren Roberts wrote: “You’d need a flipping crane and a heavy rig to pinch that thing not a blooming transit van!”

Janet Hurst said: “Poor dog, it’s a wonder it can walk.”

Emily Blaylock commented: “Can’t even take a picture of a chubby dog these days.”

Cj Adam added: “I thought it was a sheep on a lead” followed by two crying laughing emojis.

Kyle’s original warning post about dog-nappers, read: “So I was standing outside Sainsbury’s talking to Ellen and Kaye. I turned around to go home when I saw this fella in a van of me and Skye the dog.

“I turned around to them and said, ‘is it me or is that fella taking pictures of the dog?’

“They both turned around and said, ‘he is’, so I took a photo of the van which I will post now so anyone with dogs be careful.” 

Speaking today Jack, who works for his dad’s plastering company, said: “I found out the night before I put the post on what had happened so the next day I asked my dad about it.

“He showed me the dog, I was in stitches so I had to put a post on to clear my dad’s name and I had a feeling it might have ended up going viral.” 

Speaking today Brian said: “We were just working in Durham city, I was sitting in traffic and I noticed it because it was unusual. This big fat dog standing in the street. So I took a picture of it.

“It was really large. I thought who would steal a dog that size. I don’t go on Facebook but my son told me everybody found it really funny. It’s just a bit of fun isn’t it.”