As a nation of dog lovers, 13 million of us have one. They greet us when we get home, comfort us when we are sad and join us on adventures walking around the country.
But dog owners are being warned to keep an extra eye on their four-legged companions as an average of six dogs are reported stolen every single day, with that number likely to be much higher as the return of dog walking services make thefts harder to track.
Of the more than two thousand dogs reported missing in the last twelve months, London remains the dog theft capital of the UK with 396 dogs reported missing, of those just 32 were found. The West Midlands saw a large spike too with 125 dogs reported stolen, up just 35 in 2021.
Despite such drastic increases in the targeting of some breeds by thieves, under the current law, there is still no specific crime for pet theft, with stolen dogs treated like other stolen property.
New research by, Direct Line Pet Insurance shows American Bulldogs were the most stolen breed in 2022, with the more four times higher than the previous year. Staffordshire Bull Terriers and French Bulldogs were also very popular with dognappers.
Jodie Ferrier knows the heartache of losing your best friend after her Sprocker Spaniel, Fern (pictured above) was stolen by thieves when she was just a puppy and used for breeding until she could no longer give birth. The dognapers then dumped the now 11-year-old on the side of the road, where she was found and reunited with Jodie after her chip was scanned at a nearby vet.
Jodie and Fern are the lucky ones with just one in four dogs reported missing ever being found and reunited with their loving owner.
