Dog-snatches on the rise as thieves steal for black market

YORKSHIRE’S largest police force recorded the second-highest number of dog thefts of any force in the UK, according to a new analysis of crime statistics.

There were 208 reported thefts across West Yorkshire during 2016 compared with 71 in 2014.

They contributed to a total of 1,774 thefts nationwide – the equivalent of five dogs every day.

But Nik Oakley, of the rescue organisation Dog Lost, said the true scale was likely to be even greater as its own figures showed the number was closer to 3,000.

“The figures are woefully low compared to the reality,” she said. “Until dog theft is a specific crime then these figures are never going to be accurately recorded.”

She said some owners had trouble getting the crime logged as theft if there was no evidence of a break-in as it was often suggested their dogs had escaped.

Mick Robinson, 48, has also become involved in campaigning to change the law and give police more powers after his two-yearold rottweiler was stolen.

Thieves cut through two padlocks to snatch Sky from a dog run at his home in Castleford in 2015 but left his German shepherd Storm behind.

“Sky is a part of my family,” he said. “It’s not just a possession. They’re not just dogs.

“We do all we can to raise awareness of the growing epidemic of dog theft.”

Analysis of police data by Direct Line Pet Insurance revealed incidents had increased by 89 per cent in West Yorkshire, compared with 19 per cent nationally.

The Metropolitan Police topped the rankings with 231 reported thefts, although this had increased by only five per cent since 2014.

South Yorkshire Police was ranked sixth after reports increased by 31 per cent to reach 96 last year. But the number reported stolen in Humberside bucked the national trend, falling from 40 in 2014 to 37 in 2016.

Ms Oakley said the crime had gone from being opportunistic to increasingly organised, adding: “Dogs are being stolen for the black market but increasingly for breeding. Instead of being stolen from outside a shop and sold on for £50, now the thieves are scoping and wait for multiple dogs that can be used for breeding.”

A West Yorkshire Police spokesman said: “We take all reports of theft extremely seriously and work with householders and businesses to offer crime prevention advice.”

He said all owners were advised to microchip their dogs and keep them in secure premises.