Have pet thieves struck again? - Musician Sam Obernik, left 'devastated' by loss of Jack Russell "Betty"

Published: 31 March 2011
by JAMIE WELHAM

A SINGER who was once a guitarist for Britney Spears believes her prized Jack Russell was snatched by a petnapper after vanishing in mys­terious circumstances.

Sam Obernik, who lives in Belsize Park, said she was devastated when “Betty” disappeared from her dog walker’s house while she was on tour in Eastern Europe last month.

The musician, best known for her 2002 clubland hit It Just Won’t Do, is the latest in a line of residents whose pets have gone missing in recent months.

The dog vanished in the middle of the night from inside a house in Cricklewood at the beginning of February. Ms Obernik, who lives with her 16-year-old son, was on tour in Kazakhstan at the time.

She said: “We are absolutely devastated. She really is the centre of our family because a lot of the time I’m not around.

“I’m not sure what more I can do. We’ve contacted the dog wardens, rang around the kennels and stuck a million posters up. 

“It’s unlike Betty. She’d know where to come back to and we haven’t even had one call. I think someone’s taken her. She went in the middle of the night.”

It follows claims that a woman in Camden Town had her missing cat returned last week by a dog fighter, who had wanted to use it as bait. 

Anxious owners say police should start linking the cases and treating and missing animals as suspicious.

Camden police say that they have not received a report concerning Ms Obernik’s dog and that they are not currently investigating any cases of animals being taken in the borough.