If you've been on a road-trip this summer it's likely you've seen one of the 300 signs around the country appealing for information about two missing dogs.
Missing dogs Weed (L) and Dice. Photo: Supplied / by Allan and Louisa Funnell
Dice, a small black poodle, and Weed, a fox terrier- jack russell cross, disappeared from their home on the Otago Peninsula in October 2019.
Their owner Alan Funnell said the dogs were unsupervised for under two minutes when they disappeared.
"My partner Louisa had the dogs with her when she went to feed the chooks, she let them out for a pee and in the couple of minutes she walked into the shed and back again they were gone.
"We think they chased a rabbit off the property and someone has picked them up," he said.
The couple searched for the dogs for four weeks all over the Otago Peninsula to no avail.
"There was a report on the news and that's when a sighting of the dogs tied to a campervan outside of Dunedin was reported."
The sighting spurred the couple on in their search.
Funnell said the fact they were with a campervan led them to believe the dogs could be anywhere in the country.
"We've put up about 300 signs nationwide appealing for sightings or information about the dogs and we're always putting up more.
"We've had lots of leads but it's always of dogs that look similar."
A sign calling for information about the missing dogs. Photo: Supplied / Allan and Louisa Funnell
Funnell said they've given up their hobbies to spend all of their spare time looking for Dice and Weed.
"They're part of the family, Dice was Louisa's right hand man for nine years and all of a sudden to not have him there has left a big hole in her life.
"Our pets are our family so we won't give up looking for them."
The dogs are microchipped so have probably not been through any vet clinics or pounds he said.
The couple don't want any retribution if someone does have the duo.
"We just want the dogs back so if you have them - just drop them at the local vets or pound," Funnell said.
