A family's dog has been found strangled to death on a canal path after going missing from home.

Honey, a five year old Staffordshire Bull Terrier cross, went missing from home on Monday.

After recently giving birth to a litter of pups she had been taken on fewer walks so she could rebuild her strength.

While the family slept slept she let herself out and set out on her usual route in Stretford, owner Shannon Flanagan told the M.E.N.

When Shannon, 24, realised she was missing, she looked on Facebook and saw a post that described a dog matching Honey's description at the BP Garage at Audley Avenue,  Lostock, about 15 minutes from her home.

That was the beginning of a desperate search for Honey, involving walking the streets, posting flyers, scouring social media, and contacting dog wardens, the RSPCA and vets.

But on Saturday morning the family learnt Honey had been found dead, her body dumped on a canal path near Cornbrook Metrolink station.

She had been strangled to death with a lead, it's understood.

Honey recently gave birth to a litter

Mother-of-two Shannon said: "Honey was originally bought for me as a present from my partner because he used to work a way a lot, so she'd keep me company.

"I was pregnant with my son Phoenix at the time and she'd rest her head on my belly. When she felt Phoenix kick, she'd lick my bump.

"She was the most loving, lovely little dog and was the biggest softie. She used to let us hold her like a baby.

"The worst thing is knowing that she wouldn't have fought back. She would have just let him hurt her."

Honey, pictured with Phoenix, who is now 3

Shannon's two children, Lilly-May aged six and Phoenix aged three, are devastated.

Shannon said: "We've told the kids that Honey got poorly and has gone to live in heaven. My son keeps crying and asking when Honey's coming down from the sky."

After being bred with the family's other dog, a Bull Mastiff called Kobi, Honey had given birth to her first and only litter of nine puppies back in February, but had lost a lot of weight as a result of weaning them before they were rehomed.

Honey pictured, alongside Lilly-May, shortly after coming into the family

Shannon said: "She was itching to get out the house and had an amazing ability to unlock doors. That's what she did on Monday. She let herself out and took herself on her own walk.

"When we realised she was missing we were completely frantic with worry. I saw a post on Facebook that someone had seen a lone dog with a similar description at the BP garage so I headed down there straight away."

When she got there at around 7am, though, Honey was gone.

Shannon says she was told that a man had been witnessed buying two sausage barms for Honey, and saying he was going to take her to the vet and get her scanned for a microchip.

"I rang around all the vets and dog wardens in the area but nobody had seen her. At this point I knew she'd been stolen", she said.

But, after days of posting countless fliers in shop windows and social media appeals, on Saturday morning Shannon received a phone call from a local pet shop.

Honey with her litter of pups

She said: "I was so excited when they told me that they'd found Honey. But in the next breath they said that unfortunately Honey was brought in to them as deceased.

"She wasn't wearing a collar when she was discovered even though she'd left ours wearing one, so the murderer had obviously taken it off.

"Staff told us she was found with a lead and it had been used to strangle her to death.

"I was absolutely devastated. How could anyone do that?"

Shannon believes whoever took Honey had 'stolen her knowing full well what he was going to do and had bought the lead, walked her to a secluded canal path knowing he would strangle her, and then just left her there all alone.'

"The staff told us it wouldn't be wise to see her body but my partner Darious wanted to, just so he could confirm it was her", she added.

"He's a bouncer, he's a tough guy. I've only ever seen him cry at the birth of our son, but when he came out from seeing her, he just broke down.

"Our other dog Kobi won't eat anything. He 100% knows Honey's gone. We bought him a big jumbo bone to try and get him to eat it but instead he carried it over to where she usually lies down and has just left it in her spot.

"We decided to breed them just once because we knew Honey would be such a good mum.

"They were all born with Kobi's physique but Honey's face. It's nice to know that her children are still out there so she lives on in them in a way."

"When I was pregnant with my son Honey would rest her head on my belly", heartbroken owner Shannon Flanagan said

Police have confirmed they are investigating.

Shannon told the M.E.N. that officers believe that after the encounter with the man who bought her sausage barms, she left the BP garage alone before somebody else took her.

It's also understood that her body may have lain in the open for days before she was found by members of the public who handed it in.

The family is now trying to raise funds to cover the cost of Honey's cremation.

Click here to donate .