Sharp rise in dog theft

New figures reveal a sharp rise in XL bully thefts within the last 12 months, with the breed now the 3^rd most stolen dog in the UK, despite not being in the top 10 the year before.

37 were stolen in 2023, the same year the breed was added to the Dangerous Dogs Act and the sale of the breed was prohibited. In 2022 there were no reportedthefts of XL Bully’s.

Across the UK dog thefts are up 6% year-on-year with 2,290 dogs stolen in 2023 – that’s an average 6 per day – with the Met Police, Kent Police and West Yorkshire Police reporting the highest number of thefts. Northumbria, Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire saw a large spike in thefts. Sadly the number of dogs returned to their owners is also down, with figures from Direct Line Pet Insurance showing just 16% of pets stolen are returned to their owners the lowest number since 2015.

Ryan spoke to Wayne May, pet detective & police liason for Doglost and the Stolen and Missing Pet Alliance.

Photo by Berkay Gumustekin on Unsplash