Lancashire named in dog kidnapping capital list as Lakeland Terrier Bear still missing three months on

Lancashire has been named as the one of the UK’s top dog-napping hotspot with a shocking two dogs stolen every week. Puppies.co.uk sent a Freedom of Information (FOI) request to 45 police forces across the UK, asking them for the number of dogs that were reported as stolen in their constituencies over the last five years.

The figures from Lancashire Police highlight that Lancashire is one of the UK’s top dog-napping hotspots, with two dogs stolen every week.

Join our new WhatsApp Community to get the latest news and top stories from across Lancashire directly to your phone.Sign up for our free newsletters now In 2019 94 dogs were stolen, which has seen a spike to 124 in 2023.

Heartbroken Cleveleys woman Catherine Bamber believes her dog Bear - a black and Tan Lakeland Terrier was stolen three months ago.

Bear went missing on Wednesday, January 10, in Inskip, Preston-Pinfold Lane Moss Lane area around 10.30am-11am and hasn’t been seen since.

The family have exhaused every avenue trying to loctae his whereabouts including offering a £5k reward for his safe return.

Strictly stars and brothers Curtis, 28, and AJ Pritchard 29, have even issued a video appeal for help in finding him but to no avail.

READ MORE:

A spokesperson at Puppies.co.uk said, “These figures are quite alarming.

“For many of us, our pets feel like members of the family and it is heartbreaking to think about the anxiety that owners face when their beloved pets are ripped away from them.

“We hope that the government takes action and makes the abduction of dogs a criminal offence.” Qarrar Somji, Director and Solicitor-Advocate at Witan Solicitors, said: “Unfortunately, current laws do not recognise the significance of this crime.

“Under the Theft Act, dogs are simply treated as property as opposed to companions and sentient beings. This means that people who steal dogs face similar penalties to those who steal property like mobile phones. Anyone with information on Bear’s whereabouts is asked to call 07867725548.