A missing puppy’s owners have pleaded for the safe return of their beloved pet after it was taken by strangers.

On the same day Dowoo Lee and his family left to go on holiday the one-year-old Yorkshire terrier puppy escaped from the garden of a friend in Old Farm Road, Finchley, who was looking after her while the family were away.

In footage caught on video camera later that day Clover was seen being coaxed out from under a car parked Friern Barnet retail park by three men.

But even though Clover was rescued from under the car she has yet to be reunited with her worried family more than two weeks later.

Mr Lee, who along with his parents and four sisters have already spent hours searching the areas around their Finchley home, said: “We would just like her back. She’s more like a child than a dog. She’s scared of a lot of things and not great with strangers.

“I’m not sure how she’s doing right now,” he added.

A business student, Mr Lee said his family were very anxious about the disappearance on July 24.

“We’re not getting much sleep. Tensions are high. It’s more stressful for my mother. She was very protective of Clover. We just want her back. Any information would help us,” he said.

Muswell Hill ward officer, PC Sharon Rogers – who is helping the family with the search – appealed to the men seen with Clover to come forward.

According to PC Rogers one man in the group can be heard saying he had spotted Clover running along the north circular before telling the other two men that he would return Clover to her rightful owners.

PC Rogers added the same man was later seen with Clover in a car driving out of the car park.

“He should have gone to the vets and had the dog scanned, but he hasn’t done that. The most important thing is to get the dog back to its rightful owners. These people haven’t done what they should have done,” she said.

PC Rogers added that anyone who had bought or been given Clover without knowing she had been taken would not face prosecution.

She confirmed that Clover is registered as stolen and this would come up if her microchip were to be scanned by a vet before going on to warn dog owners not to leave their pets tied up outside shops or alone in cars to avoid losing them.

Anyone with information about Clover’s whereabouts is urged to call 999 or 101 quoting 2417663/17.