Rise of the dognapper
Thefts go up again, with five snatched every day
DOG thefts have risen for the fourth year in a row, with pets being stolen at a rate of around five a day.
Cases of ‘dognapping’ increased by 4 per cent last year to 1,959, compared with 1,879 in 2017, police figures show.
Fashionable flat-faced breeds made popular by celebrity owners are increasingly targeted as they can be sold for high prices.
Thefts of pugs, for example – whose celebrity owners include Hugh Laurie and Paris Hilton – have soared by 500 per cent in a year. They went from 11th most stolen breed in 2017 – four cases – to fifth most stolen last year at 24.
French bulldogs, meanwhile – owned by celebrities including Hugh Jackman, Reese Witherspoon and David Beckham – were the fourth most stolen breed, with 51 cases last year against 45 in 2017. The most commonly stolen dog remains the Staffordshire bull terrier, although thefts of the breed have dropped by 49 per cent from 172 in 2017 to 88 last year.
Trendy ‘crossbreeds’ such as labradoodles – a cross between a labrador and a poodle – and puggles, a beagle/pug cross, were the second most commonly stolen dog, with 53 cases last year.
Chihuahuas were third most stolen, with 52 taken last year, an 18 per cent increase from 2017 (44 cases). There has also been a rise in the number of stolen Jack Russell terriers (up 15 per cent). Only 17 per cent of stolen dogs are returned to their owners, according to police figures obtained by Direct Line Insurance.
Thefts of some breeds fell, with the number of huskies stolen falling by 88 per cent to two last year.
The number of rottweilers and springer spaniels stolen also decreased, with only five and one of each breed taken respectively.
A spokesman for the insurance firm said: ‘Dogs are a huge part of the family, so it causes real distress and trauma when they are stolen. It is heartbreaking.’