Dog theft to order on the rise

Pet thefts across the country are on the rise, in fact high value pets are being stolen to order.

Fully trained working dogs fetch high prices, and opportunistic criminals will either steal them for the highest bidder, wait for a reward to be posted, sell them on to unsuspecting members of the public or in some rare cases ransom the dog.

  

This is why microchipping is important. If the dog is sold on to a member of the public, vets will often scan for a microchip when registering new pets. It will also make it easier for the police, RSPCA or dog wardens to locate the pet’s owners.  

Tim Oxley,dog warden for Swale Borough Council, explains why certain dogs can fetch high prices.