The owners of a missing German Shepherd have been overwhelmed by the support they have received online since going viral on Facebook.

People from around the country have shared Anna Hillier and Shane Briggs' appeal to find Sasha, who escaped from their back garden in North Baddesley on Wednesday night.

The posts have been shared as far afield as Yorkshire.

Skip company owner Shane has since offered a £500 reward to find out what happened to their beloved dog.

Anna said: "It has been amazing. I can't thank people enough for sharing the posts, for sending us messages, and offering to go out and look for her."

Sasha and her six-month-old puppy Boss escaped from their garden on the corner of Rownhams Lane and Bracken Road as the gate had not been properly closed.

The last sighting of Sasha was at 2am, running towards Packridge Lane.

The next morning, a distraught Anna went to the back gate to see if they had returned.

Boss was there, but not his mother.

"She has done this before, but she has always come back," Anna said.

"It isn't like her to leave her puppy.

"There were no injuries on him at all - no cuts or scrapes, or anything like that.

"If she was hurt, he would have stayed with her."

There were fears that the three-and-a-half year-old dog could have been the German Shepherd killed on the M27 on Sunday morning.

But Shane confirmed it was not their dog.

He said: "When I saw the news, I raced straight up there to see if I could find her.

"But by that time, the body had been removed.

"So I rang the police and they confirmed the dog had been identified and were in contact with the owner."

Anyone with information can contact Anna or Shane by calling 07789433531 or 07795182524.