A heartbroken couple have shared CCTV footage in a desperate appeal for their pet dogs, who were stolen from outside an M&S store.
The hunt for missing Denzel and Welly was sparked after they were taken from outside M&S in Nantwich, Cheshire, on March 27.
They were untied and taken as their owners popped inside for some essentials.
CCTV shows two men running along the street with the dogs and now police want the public's help tracking them down, report StokeOnTrentLive.
Owners Charlotte and Dale Robson say the theft has left them devastated.
Dale said: "They are both castrated and will not be able to be used as breeding dogs. They are family dogs and belong here with their family. They are eight and and seven-and-a-half-years old.
"We are devastated and we have two daughters that are going to be heartbroken.
"We just want them back - no questions will be asked.
"Denzel will be barking if he is somewhere he doesn’t want to be. Welly will be shaking scared. Please keep an ear out for excessive barking as well as an eye out for them."
Police are also keen for anyone with any more CCTV or a dashcam fitted to their car to come forward.
Cheshire Police's Detective Sergeant Vicki Shelton said: “The dogs’ owner is understandably deeply upset.
“Pets are part of the family and having them stolen is a harrowing and distressing experience.
“I would like to reassure members of the community that we take incidents of this nature extremely seriously and are doing all we can to establish who stole the dogs, make them face the consequences of their actions and have the pets returned to their rightful owner.
“Inquiries are ongoing and I urge anyone who believes they may know the identities of the men in the CCTV footage to get in touch.
“You cannot see their faces clearly in the footage but we are hoping that some members of the public may recognise them from their builds, the clothes they were wearing and the way they run.
“We also want to hear from anyone who witnessed the dogs being stolen or has any other information that may aid our investigation."
A surge in dog thefts across the UK in the last year has left families distraught.
It was claimed last month than a 170 per cent increase has been reported during lockdown as animal lovers are warned to be on heir guard.
Information can be reported to Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or via https://crimestoppers-uk.org/give-information/forms/give-information-anonymously.
