When six of Sarah’s dogs were stolen in late December last year, she was left reeling — but she was not alone, as increasing numbers of pet owners have experienced similar losses across Britain.
“I can’t name one feeling because there was too many — I was basically shocked, upset, frightened because of how this happened,” said the 35-year-old, who declined to give her surname.
She said that she was “obviously really, really, really worried for the dogs, and it’s hard to go on with daily life because you feel guilty.”
Photo: AFP
The dogs disappeared after thieves broke into the outhouse where they slept overnight at the family’s property in a quiet village near the town of Port Talbot in south Wales.
Five remain missing, but a female English springer spaniel stolen was found by a passerby, and a veterinarian was able to trace her back to Sarah.
The dog had a nasty wound where the perpetrators had unsuccessfully tried to remove her microchip.
“Seeing the injuries that my spaniel has got, [I am] even more worried for the dogs now,” Sarah said.
Britain has seen an explosion in the number of dog thefts since the COVID-19 pandemic and resulting lockdowns started early last year, as demand for pets has surged.
“It’s just as growing a pandemic as COVID itself,” said Wayne May, from DogLost, an organization that tries to reunite missing canines with their owners using its online database.
“I’ve been doing this for 30 years now and 2020 was the worst ever year,” he said, adding that there had been an estimated 250 percent rise in dog thefts since March last year.
Already known as a nation of dog lovers, a burgeoning number of Britons have been looking for four-legged companions during the lockdowns to help overcome loneliness and anxiety. Prices for puppies in particular, but also older dogs, have skyrocketed, attracting breeders — and the interest of criminals.
Figures from Pets4Homes, an online marketplace for sales and adoptions, showed the average price asked in about 150,000 listings from March to September last year was ￡1,883 (US$2,579). The average price during the same period in 2019 was less than half that, at ￡888.
Some puppies of popular breeds, such as spaniels, bulldogs, pugs and poodle crossbreeds, can be listed for more than ￡4,000.
Organized criminal groups are taking a growing interest in this area, alongside less coordinated thieves long active in more opportunistic dog stealing, May said.
“Prior to the pandemic ... it was opportunity theft, a very very small percentage was criminal gangs or specifically targeted thefts,” he said.
“That all changed last year... We’re now getting organized gangs and groups, stealing your dogs to breed from or to look for a reward or a ransom.”
May said that only tougher sanctions can discourage the growing number of thieves.
“It’s more lucrative now to be a dog thief in the United Kingdom than to be a drug dealer, because the punishment doesn’t fit the crime,” he added, noting punishment for stealing a dog is ￡200 to ￡250 fine.
“The criminal gangs are willing to take that risk for such a paltry sum.”
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