A KEIGHLEY woman has spoken of her heartbreak following the sickening hit-and-run accident that killed her pet dog.

Eight-year-old Yogi died in Hilary Stell’s arms after being hit in Oakworth Road by what is believed to be a taxi.

Mrs Stell and her son, Oliver, both of Harewood Crescent, stroked the distinctive animal as he died following Saturday’s early-hours incident.

She said: "I was stroking him with my arms around him when he went.”

RSPCA investigators this week issued shocking mobile phone footage, which shows the incident.

The film, which has received more than 1,000 views on YouTube and is uploaded on the Keighley News website, shows the vehicle ploughing into Yogi, stopping further along the road, then continuing on its way.

Yogi, a massive Chow Chow, staggers along the road while the witnesses continue to film him.

The men had begun filming Yogi from inside their car because they believed he was an escaped lion sitting in the middle of the road, such as his size.

The RSPCA this week launched an urgent appeal for information about who was driving the car that hit Yogi.

RSPCA inspector, Natalie Taylor, said: “This is a shocking incident. It is absolutely heartbreaking for the owners, and would have caused immense suffering to poor Yogi.

“The driver of a car involved in a collision with a dog is legally obliged to stop and stay at the scene until the police have given the driver permission to leave, and the police must be informed of such an incident."

The RSPCA said the incident, which happened at about 3am, left Yogi “obviously gravely injured” before he collapsed.

Mrs Stell’s youngest son, 25-year-old Oliver, was looking for Yogi when the accident happened and was alerted by his yelping.

He had let Yogi out for a wee in the field behind their house, on the former Bronte Middle School site, and it is believed the dog wandered off, getting lost in the long grass.

When Oliver found Yogi he summoned his mother, and the pair lifted the 45kg animal into the back of their car while they called an emergency vet.

Mrs Stell said: “We didn’t think it was bad as first, Yogi just had a cut above his eye. Then he started whimpering a bit. We started cuddling him.

“He’s just been my baby. He was the softest dog going. There’ll never be another like Yogi.”