Concern over dog thefts
BUT REGION REPORTS FEWER STOLEN PETS IN 2020 THAN YEAR BEFORE
MORE than 100 dogs were reported stolen in West Yorkshire last year.
Figures obtained from West Yorkshire Police show 121 reports of dogs being taken in 2020.
In total, 125 dogs were stolen last year.
That was down 14% from 141 reports in 2019, and 165 dogs reported missing.
Campaigners are calling for dog theft to be made a specific crime currently dogs are treated like any other stolen object, which means recording thefts can be patchy.
The figures obtained by Teamdogs.co.uk following a Freedom of Information request show it’s rare for anyone to face consequences for stealing a dog.
Out of the 121 crimes recorded in West Yorkshire in 2020, 72 were closed with no suspect identified.
In the past five years, dog thefts have led to just eight charges, two cautions, and a community resolution, with difficulties with evidence stopping many of the other cases from proceeding.
A third of dogs were stolen from homes, with another third taken from gardens or yards, based on reports over the past five years, with one in 10 taken from parks or open spaces.
Over the past five years, the dog most commonly reported stolen was a Staffordshire Bull Terrier (68), followed by a French Bulldog (45), Chihuahua (29), Pug (29), and Jack Russell (22).
Nationally, the heartbreaking figures suggest only one in four stolen dogs are ever recovered.
Only 23 per cent of 1,699 pets snatched in 2020 were reunited with their devastated owners, according to figures from all of the police forces that responded to the FOI.
And only a fraction of cases led to someone facing justice, with just 48 crimes prosecuted - 3% of the 1,492 crimes that had an outcome recorded.
French Bulldogs and Staffordshire Bull Terriers were the most popular targets for dog thieves.
According to the results of the Freedom of Information requests sent to police forces across England and Wales, the regions with the highest dog thefts are London, West Yorkshire and Kent.
London had 235 thefts reported in 2020, followed by West Yorkshire with 121 and Kent with 117.
Meanwhile, Direct Line figures for stolen dogs estimated 2,438 dogs had been taken across the UK in 2020.
But dog campaigners fear the true horror of dog theft has yet to be revealed as the crime is categorised by police in the same way as they would a stolen garden gnome.
They also believe dog theft is under-reported, as the public think police forces won’t take it seriously and help them get their dog back.