Dog thefts in the UK have been rising in the last decade, with shocking figures showing that more than five dogs were stolen every day in 2018.
A record 1,931 dog thefts were reported in 2018 which, according to Direct Line Pet Insurance, is a 27% increase from 2014.
The insurance group explains that certain dog breeds are seen as ‘money makers’, with thieves being able to make thousands of pounds selling a stolen dog.
Expert Stan Rawlinson is warning pet owners to ‘secure everything’ to deter potential dog thieves.
Speaking to Ruth Langsford and Eamonn Holmes on This Morning, Stan said: “Change the route that you walk a dog on a day-to-day basis.
“Make sure you’ve got cameras up in your back garden. Secure everything, make sure the back door isn’t easy to get through.
“They’ll steal them out of the car.”
Stan then explained a heartbreaking story about a puppy who was stolen not long ago from his area.
He said: “We had a dog called Seby stolen from us.
“At the back of where I live is a large park, [the owner] had taken his 12 week old puppy out there and he turned around to his other dog to pick the poo up.
“The puppy had gone into a bush and never came out.”
Direct Line have also advised owners to be wary of strangers asking too many questions and to make sure that your dog is microchipped.
Stan is now campaigning to make dog theft a specific crime in the UK, and has received over 300,000 signatures on his petition.
