This letter was posted to the Find Fern Facebook page yesterday.
To the bad men who took Fern. Can Fern come home now please. I miss her.
It was written by 4-year-old Ethan Ferrier.
His dog, Fern, is a 1-year-old springer/cocker spaniel cross.
The family has launched a campaign on social media to try to get the dog back.
#findfern selfies. Help us with our campaign @FleurDeForce. Solidarity against thieves who steal our family members
Ethan's father, Tom, believes Fern was stolen for breeding due to the increased popularity of cocker spaniels since the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge got one.
He told The Telegraph:
Breeders are getting up to £1,000 for cocker spaniel puppies at the moment because of William and Kate's dog. We want to make people aware of this problem, because it is getting worse.
The paper reported that two months before Fern was stolen, the Duchess of Cambridge was pictured walking her cocker spaniel Lupo around Hyde Park.
However, despite the support the family's campaign has received, there's been no sign of Fern.
Ethan's mother, Jodie, told The Telegraph:
Ethan was very, very upset when Fern was taken from our farm – he would ask over and over again why anyone would want to take her from us. He has never forgotten about Fern and always asks us where we think she is and if she is happy. He asks me every morning if Fern is coming back home and I have to tell him I don't know – it's heartbreaking.