TERRIFIED animal lovers are going to extreme lengths to protect their pooches after a huge rise in dognapping in Britain, a study shows.
Two in five dog owners are refusing to let their pet off the lead, a third won't take them out after dark, a third are worried about leaving them home alone, and one in seven are taking them for fewer walks.
The Farmer's Dog has partnered with DogLost, a voluntary organisation helping stolen and missing dog owners, by launching a "missing" campaign reminiscent of the missing children milk carton campaign used in the USA in the 1980s.
The Farmer's Dog UK, a raw dog food company, will affix stickers with the profiles of six missing dogs produced by DogLost onto their mail order boxes....
Dog theft is sadly on the up, with estimates showing that seven dogs were stolen a day in 2020 – a 170 per cent increase from 2019. Due to the sharp rise in demand for puppies during the pandemic, and the resulting surge in prices, criminals are seeing dog theft as an easy way to make a lot of money. Despite this, dog thefts do remain uncommon.
