Photos of 48 suspected stolen dogs have been released by police in an effort to reunite the animals with their owners.
A total of 83 dogs of various breeds and ages were seized by police and the RSPCA during a raid at a traveller site in West Meadows, Ipswich on Saturday, March 20.
The raid was part of an investigation into a series of dog thefts with six people arrested in connection with the operation.
Officers fear many of the dogs might have been stolen from homes across the country, including the North West.
Over the past few weeks officers have been working hard to identify the owners of the 83 dogs.
However, due to the lack of identifying features and information, the process has proved to be challenging.
As yet, none of the animals have been reunited with their owners.
Now the investigation team is asking potential owners, who have not contacted the constabulary previously to come forward.
Suffolk Police has now published a gallery of pictures showing 48 of the dogs and is urging anyone who believes their dog is among them to contact the investigation team.
Detective Chief Inspector Nicola Wallace, Senior Investigating Officer for the operation, said: "We are keen to hear from anyone who believes any of the dogs in the images may be theirs.
“During the last few weeks officers have been liaising with other police forces around the country, as well as conducting a number of other enquiries, in order to establish where the dogs may have originated from.
“Anyone who believes they can provide proof of ownership should email (opscout@suffolk.pnn.police.uk) the investigation team by May 24 providing a full name, contact details and the image number which relates to the dog(s) in question.
“The public should also be aware that some of these dogs may have been lost, stolen or moved on over a period of time so they may not look exactly as they did when they were last seen.”
Proof of ownership can include the following:
Veterinary/vaccination records clearly identifying the dogs.
Pictures of the dog with any distinctive markings/scars/distinguishing features.
Any details of microchipping – however, please note, all these dogs either do not have microchips or have chips which may not be correctly registered.
Other pictures of the dog(s) which prove ownership during the dog’s life.
Any purchase details, including details of where the dog was purchased from and/or receipts.
Any records of reporting the dog(s) lost/stolen either to police or on other websites/charities.
Some dogs are grouped into possible litter groups, but this is not necessarily the case.
