BBC documentary on missing Tipperary dog Molly to air on Saturday

A BBC News investigation featuring missing Tipperary dog Molly will air tomorrow Saturday January 8 at 5:30pm. 

The programme titled Bring Molly Home will feature the campaign by the Eichholz family to find their dog Molly and will also look at the illegal dog trade. 

Tipperary Live spoke to Ciara Eichholz  about the programme and their campaign to bring Molly home. 

"The support has just been absolutely amazing. I think that many people saw Molly's page pop up and the types of posts and pictures and videos we shared of her. I think it really showed people Molly's soul. I think everyone just fell in love with her, and I think a lot of the country feel like they know her," said Ciara.

Molly went missing from the family home in July 2020. 

The family later found out Molly was stolen and transported to the UK.

"Basically everything happened immediately pretty much as soon as we realised that Molly wasn't here and we were aware of the dog theft situation, and straightway we started putting it on Facebook.

"Then the day after, and we said look, it would be best if we had a whole page dedicated to this that we could always post about Molly. We were trying to gain a following so that the more shares we would get, the more exposure Molly would get and the better the chances we would have that someone would recognise her. 

"So our goal all along has just been to have Molly recognised by as many people as we could," said Ciara.

The Facebook page now has over 23,000 followers, and Ciara says it is still growing. 

People from all over Ireland and the UK have been looking for Molly and sending Ciara any leads they may find. 

Followers send messages with well wishes and prayers for her safe return. 

Ciara believes it was because of the support for the campaign that the BBC contacted the family about their investigation. 

"I was aware that the documentary is going to be about dog theft and everything like that, but it's only actually in the past few weeks that I have learned that they were going to name it Bring Molly Home, which is just amazing in itself. The exposure alone means that people who don't even watch it they're still going to be exposed to Molly's story, and it's just going to give us the best possible chance to get in her home again," said Ciara.

 The BBC documentary is really important to the campaign because Ciara knows Molly was sent to the UK.  

"We do know that much for sure, but as soon as she reached the UK, it kind of…she went off the grid. So at this point now, we're trying to appeal as much as we can to the UK audience. We do know that she got that far and she is somewhere over there right now," said Ciara. 

Molly is an 11-year-old springer spaniel and much-loved family pet. 

Ciara says she came to her family as a "failed farm dog" more suited to being in a home. 

"Molly was just so the polar opposite, really placid. She just wanted to sit beside you and have a cuddle look up at you even, just happy in silence all day long. 

"She is just the most placid and calm and lovely pet," said Ciara. 

Ciara and her family hope this documentary will show people how harmful the illegal dog trade is to families of stolen dogs. 

She said people might not know they have purchased a stolen dog. 

"We're really just hoping that the documentary will spark some new interest and that maybe someone who has her will just realise how hurt we are, and that's all we want is to have her home," said Ciara.

Ciara also encourages people to watch the documentary for themselves and be aware of dog theft and the illegal trade.

The documentary is airing in the UK, but Ciara is open to talking to Irish broadcasters who might be interested in helping raise awareness for Molly.   

She is also asking that if anyone has any information on Molly, they contact her on 089 243 7161 and share the Bring Molly Home Facebook page posts.

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