After a number of social media posts relating to attempted dog thefts the police have moved to reassure pet owners that there has not been a spate of dog thefts in Swindon or Wiltshire.
Between December 2019 and December 2020 a total of 26 reports were made to the police in relation to the theft, attempted thefts, or suspicious activity that could be perceived as a pre-cursor to an attempted theft of dogs by unknown suspects across the whole of the county.
Of those 26 reports, eight involved a dog physically being taken.
A police spokesperson said: ‘Although for those eight owners this crime is very distressing, these figures show that fortunately this type of crime is not a major one in our county.’
‘However, we are never complacent; members of our Intelligence Department, Community Policing Teams and Rural Crime Team liaise regularly with our neighbouring forces to share information to help us to proactively manage different crime types, and this is one of them.’
‘And, it’s always better to be safe than sorry – please ensure you are taking basic precautions to keep your dog safe.’
‘Make sure your dog is microchipped and their details are updated, and make sure your home, garden and kennel are secure.’
Please report any suspicious activity to police via 101 or our website. If a crime ‘is in action’ then please dial 999.
