SHE has been running loose for more than a week.

Now a Hampshire couple are desperately searching to bring their dog Mocco home.

Simon and Renee Pickering- Copley, from Andover Road in Winchester, took their pointer border collie-cross for a walk around Barton Farm on October 26, before the lead slipped from Renee’s hand and she escaped.

Mocco was a rescue dog that the couple adopted only a day before from a shelter in Essex.

She had been mistreated in the past and is scared of contact with people.

Simon said: “We only had her the one day, but she had already started to look comfortable in her new surroundings.

“Renee managed to trace her route back to Barton Farm, but darkness descended and she could no longer be seen.”

Since the incident, there has been multiple sighting of Mocco, who still has her collar and lead attached, by residents in all parts of the city, including at Bar End park and ride and in Stockbridge Road.

Unfortunately, nobody has been able to catch her and she does not know her name.

The most recent sighting was on Stoney Lane on Tuesday, where workmen tried to entice her with sandwiches, but she was too scared and ran away.

The pair have always been dog lovers and brought their beloved pooches along with them when they emigrated from South Africa in 1998.

Simon added: “We are worried what could happen next as she could get hit by a car if she runs across the road.”

A cage has been set up at the entrance to Barton Farm in Andover Road, on the advice of dog wardens and behavioural experts.

Once she starts to use the cage, a ‘trap’ will be put in its place to catch her.