A HOUSTON family who put their beloved pooch in kennels before jetting off on a sunshine break have been left distraught after he escaped through an unsecured gate.

Stephen Hill, his wife Karen and daughter Sophie had to cut short their holiday in Cyprus after being told 12-year-old cockapoo Cooper had gone missing.

They have also hit out at the owner of the kennels for waiting two days before alerting the family.

Sophie, 19, told The Gazette: “I just don’t understand how Cooper managed to get out of the kennels and why it took so long for them to tell us.

“I’ve had him since I was a child and I can’t bear being without him.”

Cooper was last seen on July 15, following his disappearance from Brueacre Kennels, in Inverkip.

After managing to arrange flights home, the family launched a desperate search to find him.

Stephen, 51, and a friend have camped out in the Inverkip area as they look for Cooper and have even barbecued food in the hope he will be tempted by the smell.

“The kennel owner only contacted me 48 hours after Cooper went missing, so we had lost two days,” said Stephen.

“My daughter has been sick with worry. She has had Cooper since he was a puppy and they are very close.”

Stephen has also distributed posters with Cooper’s photo and issued appeals for help on social media.

He added: “The response has been nothing short of magnificent. We’ve had people out searching on foot, by car, with drones and sniffer dogs.

“We are convinced that Cooper is still out there and can be found. However, given his age, we’re also concerned that he may be scared.”

Brueacre owner Allison Black said the gate Cooper escaped through was blown open by a gust of wind.

She added: “No-one is more upset about this than me.

“I did not want to phone Stephen at first and ruin his holiday in case we found the dog.

“I have done everything possible to find him. I’ve been out most days from 7am to midnight.

“It’s not about money to me, it’s about the dogs.”

Anyone who spots Cooper or has information on his whereabouts is asked to phone the family on 0796 623 6502 or 0775 928 5547.

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