No charges over any dog thefts in South Yorkshire in 2020

No one has ever been charged over any of dog thefts that plagued Yorkshire in 2020, a charity has reported.
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Across last year, there were 82 reported dog thefts in South Yorkshire following a surge in puppy buying during the pandemic.

Now, research by dog welfare charity The Kennel Club claims that no one has ever been brought to justice or even charged in any of those cases, or any of the 271 cases total in all of Yorkshire and the Humber in that time.

The charity further claims that in two thirds of South Yorkshire’s cases, no suspect was ever identified.

A charity says none of the dog thefts that plagued Yorkshire in 2020 have ever seen anyone charged or brought to justice. (Photo by David Paul Morris/Getty Images)A charity says none of the dog thefts that plagued Yorkshire in 2020 have ever seen anyone charged or brought to justice. (Photo by David Paul Morris/Getty Images)
A charity says none of the dog thefts that plagued Yorkshire in 2020 have ever seen anyone charged or brought to justice. (Photo by David Paul Morris/Getty Images)

A third of cases did identify a suspect, but no action was taken due to “evidential difficulties”.

The charity has called the results a “jaw-dropping” failure by the Government and police forces to take action against a “heartbreaking” crime they say affected nearly 200 families a month in 2020.

A South Yorkshire Police spokeswoman said the force is “actively carrying out enquiries into all incidents reported in recent weeks”.

The figures come 79 days after the Government’s Pet Theft Taskforce was established on May 8 to tackle the issue. Since then, another 508 dogs have reportedly been stolen.

The Kennel Club is calling for more transparent recording of pet theft on a central database so that underlying causes of dog theft can be tackled.

"Dog theft has devastating consequences for both the owners and the animals involved and it is quite frankly jaw dropping that 98 per cent of cases never result in a criminal charge and in more than half, no suspect is ever identified,” said The Kennel Club’s health executive Bill Lambert.

"Not only that but when a sentence is handed out it is often treated no more seriously than a petty crime, despite the fact that there is nothing ‘petty’ about pet theft. The low charge rates and the paltry sentences are an almost open invitation to criminals looking to target innocent dog owners.”

The charity received data from 27 police forces which suggested only two per cent of all dog theft cases in the UK led to a suspect being charged.

Between July 2020 and March 2021, South Yorkshire Police began 63 investigations in which a dog was taken.

A spokeswoman said: “Any reports made to us are fully investigated with the aim of ensuring dogs are safely reunited with their owners. We absolutely understand the impact this type of crime has on victims and we know how important dogs are to their families.

A spokeswoman for South Yorkshire Police said: “Any reports made to us are fully investigated with the aim of ensuring dogs are safely reunited with their owners. We absolutely understand the impact this type of crime has on victims and we know how important dogs are to their families.”

There are a number of steps you can take too, to protect yourselves and your pets:- Never leave your pet tied up unattended, for example, outside shops.- Make sure your dog is wearing a collar and ID tag when in a public place, as you are now required to do by law. Include your surname, telephone number, address and full post code and if there’s room, put ‘microchipped’ on the tag if your dog has a chip.- Ensure your dog can be permanently identified by its microchip and check with your vet every year that details are up to date.- Keep all documentation relating to your dog(s) in a safe place. Include clear photos of front and side profiles of your dog, and any unusual markings.- Use a registered boarding kennel or professional dog carer with clear documentation, unless you know someone who is trustworthy that will care for your dog in your absence.