NEW research from the Kennel Club shows a shocking failure to tackle dog theft is devastating 196 families every month in the UK, with only two per cent of cases resulting in a criminal charge.
The statistics, gathered through a Freedom of Information requests to the 45 police forces in the UK, to which 36 responded, show that there were an estimated 2,355 cases of dog theft in 2020, a seven per cent increase on 2019, amounting to more than 196 dogs being stolen, to the heartbreak of their owners, every single month.
However, based on the 27 police forces that responded on dog theft outcomes in 2020, only two per cent of all dog theft cases in the UK led to a suspect being charged.
In the West Midlands, there were an estimated 123 dog thefts in 2020.
The statistics are revealed after the Government’s Pet Theft Taskforce was established to help tackle the issue.
The Kennel Club is urging more transparent recording of pet theft on a central database, so underlying causes of dog theft can be tackled and for the emotional value of dogs to be recognised in sentencing.
“Dog theft has devastating consequences for both the owners and the animals involved and it is quite frankly jaw dropping that 98 per cent of cases never result in a criminal charge and in more than half, no suspect is ever identified,” said Bill Lambert at The Kennel Club.
“The low charge rates and the paltry sentences are an almost open invitation to criminals looking to target innocent dog owners.”
