CAPO the pointer cross has bought New Year’s joy to district councillor Debbie Young after her beloved family dog died suddenly just before Christmas.

Cllr Young’s eight-year-old black Labrador, Liquorice, died suddenly on Friday, December 20 after running away from the family home in St Mary’s, Chalford, the night before.

Liquorice was only missing for an hour before she was returned home by police on the Thursday evening – however by 9am the following morning she was dead.

“I think she must have eaten some baited food while she was out the night before,” said Cllr Young, who represents Chalford on the district council.

“My husband Rob came downstairs on the Friday morning to find Liquorice had been very sick and was refusing to eat any food.”

The family took her to the vets straight away but within an hour she was dead.

“It was really devastating for the whole family but it especially affected my daughter Sam, 10,” added Cllr Young.

However in the days after Christmas the family made the decision to get another dog.

“It just wasn’t the same coming back to the house without a dog to greet us,” she added.

The family decided they didn’t want to get a new pet from a puppy farm and therefore started searching the internet for local rescue shelters which had puppies available.

Sam found Capo, an 18-week-old pointer cross, through the Many Tears Animal Rescue website and fell in love with him instantly.

“We thought that if we got our new dog from a rescue shelter then there would be some good to come from Liquorice’s death,” said Cllr Young, who also has a cat, a guinea pig and goldfish at home.

Many Tears Animal Rescue is based in South Wales but has dogs in foster homes throughout the UK and the Young family only had to travel to Westbury in order to get Capo.

“He seems to be settling in really well, although we don’t know what breed he is crossed with so at the moment are unsure just how big he’s going to get,” she added.