I CRIED BUCKETS WHEN I FOUND MY STOLEN DOGS
WHEN Tony Cronin walked into an unspecified location in Carmarthenshire he burst into tears when his dog jumped into is arms. He didn’t think he’d ever see her again when she, along with four other spaniels and two litters of puppies, went missing from his home two days earlier on January 22.
The dogs were not only his pets, they were also being specially bred and trained to work as search dogs for the police and other agencies.
Desperate to get them back, Mr Cronin took an investigation into his own hands to find them.
After receiving a tip-off about their whereabouts, he couldn’t believe his luck when he saw his spaniel running towards him – but she wasn’t alone.
“A huge group of dogs came up to greet us,” he said. “There were Westies, Labradors, pugs, everything just running at us barking like mad.
“Right in the middle of the group running towards us was one of my own dogs. Her tail was right down between her legs because she was frightened. She was quite timid until I called her and as soon as I started calling her she ran out and jumped in my arms and that was it then.
The 63-year-old said he “cried buckets” when she jumped into his arms while she whimpered back at him.
As he explored further, he uncovered the rest of his dogs and puppies, leaving him “elated”.
“I called 999 immediately. The police came and I had my dog in my jacket. The police officer said, ‘Have you got all your puppies?’ I told her they were all here with me and she started welling up.”
After Mr Cronin called the police, officers from Dyfed-Powys Police arrived at the scene and estimated the value of the dogs to be around £40,000.
According to the force, 22 dogs have since been returned to their lawful owners and 46 remain in kennels.
Two people have been arrested and are currently on police bail as investigations continue.
Since the start of the coronavirus pandemic, dog owners across the country have been left living in fear.
As the demand for lockdown companion pets rises, the cost of puppies has more than doubled over the past year.
The increased interest in puppies has seen a rise in dog thefts as criminals seize the opportunity to make some extra cash. According to missing pets website Dogs Lost, there has been a 170% increase in the number of dogs stolen across the UK since the start of the pandemic alone.
Recently in Wales, we have seen everything from thieves cutting leads with scissors to try to take a family pet, to fake RSPCA workers asking owners to hand over their dogs.
It all came to a head in January when almost 80 dogs were recovered in police raids in Carmarthenshire and Briton Ferry, with a high number of those animals reported as stolen. Days later police uncovered even more suspected stolen dogs in Briton Ferry.
For many owners, their pets are their lifeline, offering them company and support. It has left many deeply upset and worried about what their animal might be enduring.
Because of the unprecedented situation Dyfed-Powys Police has set up an investigation team working under Operation Rhinestone to target the increase in dog thefts in the force area, which reflects a rise nationally.
Supt Robyn Mason from DyfedPowys Police added the situation had been “concerning”.
He said: “We’ve seen an increase over the last 12 months for reasons such as the pandemic. People are wanting more pets and dogs. There has been an increase in demand, there has been an increase in prices and obviously criminality. People see it as an opportunity for making money and taking advantage of the situation.”
RSPCA Cymru asks everyone who owns a dog to remain extremely vigilant at this worrying time.
A spokesman for the charity said: “It’s unclear exactly why this is happening – and we know people may target dogs for many different reasons.
“However, we have seen a huge interest in people acquiring pets during the lockdowns and ongoing Covid-19 restrictions, so it seems very possible that thieves are attaching large value to dogs and other pets, which highlights the importance of owners being vigilant at this time.
“While it is important dog owners don’t panic, owners should be careful and know what steps they can take to reduce the likelihood of their dog falling victim to thieves.
“During the ongoing lockdown and Covid-19 related restrictions in Wales, we are also urging dogs to be kept on leads when walked in public to help ensure social distancing. This will help avoid owners unnecessarily coming into contact with one another should a pet need to be retrieved.
“The best way of making sure you can be reunited with your dog if he or she becomes lost or stolen is to have the dog microchipped. It’s now a legal requirement to have your dog microchipped in Wales – and can make such a huge difference.
“When they’re in a public place, every dog must also – by law – wear a collar with the name and address of their owner engraved on it, or on a plate or tag attached to it.”
SOMETIMES we walk past buildings, places and monuments every day, but we have no idea how important they actually are. The churchyard at St Mary’s Church in Glyntaff, Pontypridd, is just one of these places.
The church building has been operating ever since 1839. For nearly 200 years people in Pontypridd have worshipped in, visited and walked past the building, but not everyone knows what stories lie within its grounds.
The stories linked to the fascinating churchyard have recently been revealed in a new book written by the church in collaboration with Hawthorn High School. It is entitled St Mary’s Church is One Hundred and Eighty.
The gravestone of George William Lenox, known as “the father of the Welsh chain trade”, is but one important memorial that lies within the church grounds. He was buried at St Mary’s Church’s churchyard after he died in 1868 at the age of 70.
Born in Tottenham, on May 20 1798, George was the son of Samuel and Agnes Maria Lenox. Samuel Lenox was one of the co-founders of Brown Lenox and Company.
Describing the company, St Mary’s Church is One Hundred and Eighty reads: “In 1812 a factory was built in Millwall, London, for the manufacture and testing of chain cable, and the manufacture of ancillary products such as anchors, buoys and water tanks. In 1816, a second factory was built at Ynysangharad, Pontypridd, which was to become their main chain manufacturing works, located alongside the Glamorganshire Canal.
“Following the death of his father, Samuel Lenox, in 1836, one of the founding partners of the company, George William Lenox succeeded him as a senior partner in the business.”
In 1839 George went on to marry Miss Rosa Ross Wilkinson of Rose-inVale, near Truro, Cornwall, and the couple had six children, including Lewis Gordon Lenox, who later took over the business from his father.
During his time at the businesses, George took out many joint patents (with the foreman of the works) for inventions, innovations and improvements. By 1860 he had become recognised as quite an expert and manufacturer and also presented the paper – On Chain-Cables – to the Royal Institution of Naval Architects. In this paper, he spoke about anchor chains and their history.
George also played a big role in the development of the Great Eastern which was, at the time, the largest ship in the world. Although it was designed by Isambard Kingdom Brunel, George Lenox manufactured the anchor chain cable, but he didn’t appear to want to take credit on launch day.
Describing this story in the book, it states: “Brunel asked him to pose with him, to have their photograph taken, but Lenox refused. Brunel then scrawled on the back of one photographic print: ‘I asked Mr Lenox to stand with me, but he would not. So, I alone am hung in chains.’
The Brown Lenox Company built up a formidable reputation as the world’s premier manufacturer of anchor chains and was the sole supplier to the Royal Navy for more than 100 years, as well as mercantile marine, manufacturing anchor chains for many famous ships.
But, as well as his great industrial success, the story goes George “took a keen interest” in his workforce at the Pontypridd base, and was considered a “virtuous employer”. At its peak the chain works employed up to 700 people.
George also secured Pontypridd Common as a recreation ground for the public to enjoy – a simple luxury that continues to be cherished to this day.
He was also interested in the construction of the Victoria Bridge, which was opened in 1857. It was built alongside William Edwards’ Old Bridge over the River Taff to enable vehicles to access the town. It was developed to aid Pontypridd’s growing development at the time.
George’s wife, Miss Rosa Ross Wilkinson, is also buried at the small churchyard. She died suddenly on June 13, 1882, when she was 61.
Rosa was only 18 when she married the man who was known as “the father of the Welsh chain trade”. The couple spent their time between Pontypridd and London but, during the summer months, the family would always reside at the small Valleys town, and Rosa was said to have a particular interest in local parochial and public matters. She was considered a person who generously contributed to charities and schools, especially those connected with the Anglican Church.
Describing Rosa, a passage in St Mary’s Church is One Hundred and Eighty reads: “Mrs Lenox’s association with these matters led her to become a household name in the district she loved, and where she was very well respected and beloved. She was a devout Christian and wrote Original Composition in Verse and Prose, comprising 299 pages of largely religious literature, which she had privately printed in the 1880s.
“Rosa took a great interest in the welfare of the families employed by her husband and partners in the chain works, and was responsible for many kindnesses to retired employees, widows and children.”
The book also explains there is a great mystery around two gravestones that commemorate Philip Thomas, who was a manager at the Brown Lenox chain works.
Mr Thomas was involved with the development of chain cable design and his work resulted in a joint patent with Brown in 1816.
He was born at Drumau near Neath, in 1771. His father was Philip Samuel Thomas, a weaver, who had become the steward of the Drumau estate. It’s believed he may have been employed at his father’s business at a time when Brown was looking for good smiths to manufacture cable. As well as being involved in many projects, he was also heavily involved in the development of the chain pier at Brighton, which was one of Brown Lenox’s early commissions in 182223. He worked with the company until he died in 1840.
His death led to the surfacing of a fascinating story as Francis Crawshay, the industrialist, who had known Philip quite well, offered a stone for the grave which was quarried from the back of his home at Forest House.
He also arranged for someone to write the inscription but, unfortunately, this person turned out to be a man with a limited understanding of English, and he carved words on the stone that led to upsetting the family.
Although it was by no means intentional, the regrettable inclusion of the phrase “much to the benefet of all mankind died...” and resulted in the
family being distressed. It’s understood they later had the name Philip Thomas erased.
The book reads: “The rough stone used also upset the relatives who arranged one night in great secrecy (not to incur the displeasure of Mr Crawshay), to open a hole in the churchyard wall and to take the stone, which they discarded in a nearby field. Dr Price, a friend and medical adviser at the Brown Lenox works and a favourite of Francis Crawshay, arranged to recover the gravestone. Men with horses from the chain works took the stone and erected it on the Common in its present location. However, at St. Mary’s Church, Philip Thomas’s name is inscribed on the tomb of his daughter who died in 1850.”
Another legend buried at the churchyard is John Calvert. Even though he was born in Yorkshire in 1812, John travelled to South Wales as a young man to make his fortune. It was in Wales that he later become a contractor for part of the construction of the Taff Vale Railway, which was engineered by
Brunel. The railway opened between Merthyr Tydfil and Cardiff in April, 1841, and it was during the same year that he helped to construct the branch line from Pontypridd to Llancaiach. It was after his early work in railway construction that he later turned his mind to coal mining which, at the time, was being developed in the area.
John became a well-known colliery owner and played a great role in pioneering the development of the local coal industry. He became a director of the Pontypridd Markets. He was a notable figure for many reasons, and is regarded as one of the “most enterprising men of his time”. He is even considered to rank with Dr Richard Griffiths (1756-1826) and Walter Coffin (1784-1867) as one of the three great early coal pioneers who worked in the Pontypridd area.
St Mary’s Church is One Hundred and Eighty is currently only available from Secretary of St Mary’s Church, Brenda Cawthorne, whose idea it was to write the book. It is available to purchase at the price of £9.99.