AN animal lover has pleaded for help to find his pet owl after it went missing in Neilston.

Graeme Stevenson and his family adopted the Eurasian Eagle Owl, named Mr Spock, in 2015.

The bird had been living happily at the family home in McDonald Place but flew off on Monday night after being spooked by a smoke alarm.

Graeme said: “We were training him to fly from the aviary I built when the neighbour’s smoke alarm went off.

“He took flight and went into the field behind the house. I jumped the fence and that spooked him further.”

Dad-of-three Graeme, who works as an HGV driver for East Renfrewshire Council, said he has been making whistling noises outside in the hope it will attract Mr Spock’s attention.

He added: “We’ve been on to the police and the Hessilhead animal sanctuary.

“Mr Spock is hand reared, so he doesn’t have the instinct to hunt. He was last fed on Monday and will be starting to get very hungry.

“My wife Roz and I got married later in life and this is our boy, we are absolutely devastated that he is missing.

“We would ask anyone who is travelling on the roads from Neilston to Barrhead to keep an eye out for him.”

A reward is on offer for Mr Spock’s safe return. If you have information, call Graeme on 0748 226 5935 or Roz on 0797 476 7905.