DELIGHTED dog owner Ronda Morritt is throwing a party to celebrate the return of Tilly the terrier - after eight months

Relieved Ronda, who runs a farm near Stamford Bridge, is throwing the "pooch party" for all Tilly's four-legged friends, and even plans to make a special cake out of dog food.

The six-year-old Patterdale Terrier went missing in April last year during a walk by a fishing lake.

Ronda says she and her two children, Henry, four, and Harvey, six, were left devastated, as it was believed she had been stolen.

The family never gave up hope that Tilly would return, and spent weeks and months looking for her all over York and the surrounding area, and they even put up a £300 reward.

Now Ronda says they were given the best possible start to 2005 when the terrier was found roaming the streets in Clifton by a council dog warden on New Year's Eve.

She was identified by an identichip, which was implanted into Tilly as a puppy. "It was the best Christmas gift we could have hoped for," Ronda said.

"We just kept looking for her right up until she was found. I said I would give it a year before we gave up hope.

"She has been well looked after and is overweight. Tilly was ecstatic to be home and instantly recognised all the old places she loved.

"I'm going to throw a big party for all the dogs in the area to celebrate," she said.

"I will even make a cake out of dog food."

Ronda, who reported the disappearance to the police and RSPCA, has called for it to be made law for all dogs to be micro-chipped.

Ronda said dog owners can get their pets microchipped by local vets for a one-off payment of £20 to £25.

The operation involves implanting a chip the size of a grain of rice into the dog. It includes information such as the owner's name, address and phone number.

"It leaves no doubt as to whose dog it is," Ronda said.

Lost dogs can also be put on a national website aimed at reuniting missing mutts with their owners. Log on to www.doglost.co.uk

Updated: 10:41 Friday, January 07, 2005