A WEST Devon family have appealed for help in tracing their beloved lost dog which they fear may have been stolen. The Young family say their Jack Russell terrier went missing on Sunday, January 15, after failing to return from a walk near their home close to Okehampton Army Camp. The male Jack Russell is described as long-legged with a broken coat, and was wearing two collars at the time of his disappearance. Fifteen-year-old Freya Young said: ?After thorough searches of the areas he may have gone, we have concluded that he has been dognapped. ?In our efforts to locate our lost dog, we have discovered a trail of other dogs which have gone missing in a similar manner.? Freya said she believed people who saw a dog on its own on Dartmoor assumed it was a stray. ?We presume that they think they are helping the dog in some way. They take the dog home, severing it from its loved ones, and its loved ones from it.? The family say the majority of stolen dogs seem to fall into a small category of breeds: lurchers, Jack Russell terriers and the occasional farm collie. The Youngs are calling upon anyone who thinks they might know of someone who has taken the dog or who has taken it themselves, to contact them or the police. ?Don?t keep the dog from its owners any longer than necessary,? urged Freya. If you can help trace the dog?s whereabouts, the family can be contacted on 01837 54933.