VICTIM’S STORY
Calls for tougher sentencing as heartbroken owners fall prey to dog thieves
Thieves are targeting designer dogs in the run- up to Christmas, animal welfare groups have warned. Cockapoos, French bulldogs and pugs worth thousands of pounds are being stolen and sold on to unsuspecting buyers. Heartbroken owners of missing dogs say there is no deterrent in law because pets are classed as property by police. This means that, if thieves are caught, courts only take the value of a dog into consideration, not the emotional distress caused to owners.
A panel sur vey of 808 dog owners in Scotland carried out by charity the Dogs Trust found 8% of respondents had a dog stolen.
In a separate social media sur vey of 983 dog owners in Scotland, 328 people said they knew someone whose dog had been stolen, and 281 thefts were reported to the police. But only two people said the report resulted in a prosecution. The report concluded: “This evidence suggests that prosecution rates for dog theft are low. A number of people expressed the sentiment that the police did not take dog theft seriously, and this was given as a reason for not reporting to the police at all.” Jennifer Terris, the Dogs Trust campaigns manager in Scotland, who carried out the research, said: “The law says a dog is property so police are restricted in what they can do. We need better recording of dog thefts by police and new sentencing guidelines that reflect the emotional impact of dog theft. “We have heard of people signed off work with stress after their dog is stolen. There is a grieving process but no closure because you don’t necessarily know what happened to your dog, or what is being done by police to help. And that grief is not always acknowledged by society.” Amanda Russell runs Dognapped UK and Ireland from her home in Kelso. She said she receives daily reports of stolen and missing dogs. And she saw an increase in cases in the run-up to Christmas.
She said designer dogs
are always in high demand. She has also seen a recent increase in the theft of working dogs, which are sold to lampers – poachers who hunt at night.
Amanda said: “They are often stolen from gardens or taken when people leave dogs outside shops. But it’s getting more violent. People who are out walking their dogs have been assaulted before the dog is grabbed.
“It gets more desperate in the run- up to Christmas. People want to make money. And at this time of year people want puppies.
“Some designer dogs are sold for upwards of £1,000. Working dogs are less valuable but they are still sold for up to £250.
“And there is no deterrent because people who are caught are usually only fined. They’re not going to be
Crooks target loved pets in cruellest trade at Christmas
put behind bars. So profits are there without the risks.” Campaigners for reform have also criticised the police for failing to release figures that show the number of dog thefts in Scotland. Forces in England and Wales have reported an upward trend in pet thefts in recent years, with an average of five reports a day last year. A record high 1,931 dog thefts were reported in 2018, 27% up on 2014. However, Police Scotland do not have comparable figures. They say it is not possible to search for crime reports based upon the type of property stolen.
There is no official national register of stolen pets but animal welfare charity the Scottish SPCA is considering creating one in response to mounting concern.
Mike Flynn, chief superintendent at the Scottish SPCA, said: “We keep a log of stolen dogs, but if t h e re was a national register or a central point where people could register a pet as lost or believed to be stolen, it would probably make life a lot easier.
“We are con s i d e r i n g doing something on our website. So, instead of people calling us up, people could post it themselves and we would monitor it.” Maurice Golden MSP, who is the Scottish Conservative spokesman on animal welfare, said pets should receive the protection in law they deserve.
He said: “Our pets are part of our families and it is absolutely right that we tighten the legislation to protect them.”