Exclusive investigation: More than 100 dogs stolen in Northern Ireland in past two years but just three prosecutions

Data obtained from the PSNI via a Freedom of Information (FoI) request show that during 2021 a total of 46 reports were made about 61 stolen dogs. Of those reports only three resulted in charge or summons.

Last year the police were unable to bring about any prosecutions for the 34 reports made relating to 41 stolen dogs.

In 2021 the most stolen breed in NI was Staffordshire Bull Terrier while last year it was Jack Russell.

NationalWorld sent FoI requests to the UK’s 45 police forces, receiving responses from 33 of them.

The results showed more than 1,600 dog thefts were reported in 2022, with more than 1,700 individual dogs stolen.

Of the crimes where police provided an investigation outcome, just 14 (0.9%) had resulted in someone being charged or sent a court summons.

Dr Ed Hayes, head of public affairs at The Kennel Club, said: “It’s really disappointing to hear such a low rate in prosecutions.”

But he said the nature of dog thefts meant “it can be very challenging to identify suspects, especially in case of dogs being stolen from gardens, parks and open spaces, where thieves may be out of sight from owners”.

A spokesperson for the National Police Chiefs’ Council added: “In cases like this, investigators often face difficulties in identifying suspects and obtaining evidence, which can make seeking prosecutions difficult.

“We recognise, however, that there is a huge emotional impact on families who have their much-loved pet stolen from them. We investigate every such crime reported to us and work with partners such as RSPCA to ensure criminals feel the full weight of the law. By targeting prolific offenders, and organised crime networks, we are able to stop these offences from happening in the first place.”

A spokesperson for the RSPCA said: “It was really welcome that the UK government announced plans (in 2021) to make pet theft a specific offence under its Kept Animals Bill – offering more assurances to owners. However, the legislation has been in limbo for 500 days – and we're increasingly worried these plans could be dropped altogether.”

Debbie Matthews, co-founder of the Stolen and Missing Pets Alliance (SAMPA), said: “The prosecution rate is so low because dogs are still categorised as ‘property’ in law, the same as a laptop. Property theft is low priority to the police and the Sentencing Council. Our pets are members of our families and the law must reflect this.”

The overall number of dog thefts across the UK fell by 15% last year, compared with the year before, the investigation found.

Ms Matthews said the price of puppies had soared to around £3,000 during lockdown which in turn had led to a spike in thefts.

She said: “This is the first year we have seen a drop in FOI theft figures and we welcome this news but there are still a large number of dogs being taken and this is simply not acceptable. The pain and suffering caused to families by pet theft is devastating.”