A DESPERATE appeal to find a missing Yorkipoo has been launched by a single mum from Bradford, who says the dog helped her through her darkest times.

The disappearance has left her children "heartbroken without him" with an online campaign launched on Facebook, 'GET DEXTER HOME', to reunite the dog with his family.

Dexter, a black-coloured male dog, has been missing since Tuesday, December 10, when it is believed he left the garden of his owner's home in the Buttershaw area of Bradford.

The family hasn't ruled out the possibility Dexter could have been stolen as the gate was found off the latch.

Keeley Bartenshaw, one member of a network of animal lovers helping people find lost and stolen dogs, told the Telegraph & Argus: "She (the owner) was devastated. She's done everything she could do.

"When I spoke to her, she said 'Look, I'm a single mum, I can't afford to pay a reward so I'm not going to get him back'.

"She's feeling completely overwhelmed by the whole thing. (Finding Dexter would be) The best Christmas present, it's like her second child. She's absolutely devastated to the point of almost throwing the towel in yesterday.

"We are trying to get his face out there. We've had people sharing him everywhere.

"We can't be 100 per cent sure he was stolen but he couldn't have got out of the garden."

If you have any information about Dexter's wherabouts, call 07515957205.