Owner of missing dog 'taunted' by hoax calls

The owner of a missing dog has said she feels "taunted" by hoax calls and apparently AI-generated images claiming to show her dog in a poor condition.

Kokko, a red cocker spaniel, bolted after being spooked by other dogs while out on a walk with a professional dog walker, near Redhill Aerodrome in Surrey, at about 13:00 BST on 27 July.

Nine weeks on, Katie Sharman, Kokko's owner, who put up missing dog posters, said she had been signed off work by her GP following the stress and anxiety of the events.

"The sleepless nights and constant uncertainty have completely floored us," she told the BBC.

On the night Kokko went missing, Sharman said she and her mother slept in their cars at the spot she disappeared.

She then camped in tents with her partner for four more nights, hoping the dog would pick up their scent.

She began receiving hoax calls "within days" of putting posters up, she said.

One caller, on 20 August, claimed to have found Kokko, gave an accurate description of her and said she was loose in Redhill.

When asked for a picture and exact location, Sharman said there was a long pause before the caller's voice "completely switched" and said "you're never getting your dog" before hanging up.

Sharman said: "It feels like someone is taunting us. The impact is just massive."

Other calls have included a man who claimed to have brutalised the dog, one who said they accidentally ran Kokko over with their car, and another which featured the voice of a child who asked about a reward, with an adult male voice feeding them answers, according to Sharman.

"It has been, and continues to be, one of the hardest things we've experienced," she said.

On 20 September, Sharman said someone called her saying they had spotted Kokko in the village of Smallfield and she looked "really skinny".

She said they pretended to talk to people, as if they were trying to grab Kokko, which made it sound "really real" before sending an image of her dog looking emaciated, which she suspects was AI-generated.

"It's clearly her lost picture," Sharman said. "It's clearly like our garden with her toy there."

Once she confronted the caller with this, she said they became abusive and started shouting expletives.

Despite this, Sharman said she had received support from a WhatsApp group of local volunteers, Priory Farm - who have become a collection point for posters and flyers - and national animal welfare charity Beauty's Legacy.

Since reporting her dog as missing to Surrey Police, Sharman said she and her family remain hopeful Kokko will be found.

"We are incredibly grateful for every single person who has helped us."

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