Dog thefts near me: how badly is your area affected and how many pets were stolen in every area of Lancashire, including Preston, Blackpool, Chorley and South Ribble

New figures, released to the Lancashire Post and our parent company NationalWorld, reveal exactly how many dogs were stolen in each area of Lancashire. Our findings also show, worryingly, fewer than 1% of dog thefts reported last year have so far resulted in criminal charges, an exclusive investigation by NationalWorld shows.

The Kennel Club described the figure as “really disappointing” but police chiefs said it was often hard to identify suspects. Campaigners also fear the government is backtracking on a heavily-publicised crackdown which would increase jail terms for dog thieves, with the RSPCA saying it is “increasingly worried” it could be dropped.

Here are how many dogs were stolen in Lancashire during 2021 and 2022, broken down by area.