A DOG owner has thanked people who helped search for her lost pet after the Great Dane brought traffic to a standstill.

The three-year old, named Molly, had escaped from a stud farm where her owners had placed her while they were away on holiday.

She was eventually found 24 hours later in Guide on a trek back to her Little Harwood home.

Her owner, 43-year-old Pauline Treagust, thanked the many people who joined in with the search for Molly after she disappeared from a dogsitter’s property in Hapton.

Pauline and her husband Graham, 54 and her 12-year-old daughter Ellie were in Turkey when they received the news that Molly was missing.

Powerless to join in the search, Mrs Treagust said the family were kept updated via phone on Molly’s journey which saw her escape from the stud farm in Hapton and make her way through Accrington, across the Coppice, Oswaldtwistle and Knuzden.

Molly was found by police officers at 8.15am on Monday morning in Haslingden Old Road.

But the dog ran away when approached. Molly’s escapade had caused rush hour chaos as motorists slammed on their brakes as the dog weaved in and out of traffic and ran out in front of vehicles.

Mrs Treagust said: “We were in Turkey on Sunday morning when we got the text about Molly. I was so worried.

"Molly is chipped and the information is linked to my mobile so I sat up all night expecting someone to tell me she had been killed.

"We rang quite a few people and I even called the taxi ranks offering a £100 reward.

"We were getting sightings and I heard she had travelled all night towards Blackburn.

"The police were telling me that she wouldn’t go to anybody and that she was stopping traffic on Haslingden Old Road.

“When she was found, Molly was absolutely traumatised, her feet were cut and her eyes were bloodshot.

"I want to thank everybody, the farmer, the police and the dog warden and all our friends so much for helping.

"I especially want to thank my daughter. Without her who knows what would have happened.”