Pet owners warned as dog thieves strike

4:00pm Thursday 5th June 2008

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AN ANIMAL rescuer is warning pet owners to be on their guard after a dog she rehoused was stolen from a home in Bournemouth.

Lytchett Matravers-based Jayne Gooderson, 46, has been saving all sorts of animals from pounds and rehousing others that their owners can no longer look after for 11 years.

Last week a Staffordshire bull terrier named Tyler that she had found a home for was taken from a garden in Winton.

Jayne, whose Pound Puppy Animal Rescue organisation rescues animals from across the country, said dog theft was rapidly increasing as it was a quick and easy way for crooks to make several hundreds, sometimes thousands, of pounds.

She said: "People should be made aware that if they buy a dog from someone on the street the chances are it's stolen.

"It's a major problem. I had a couple in Southampton who had a German Shepherd stolen from their car on a Saturday and a bloke was trying to sell it to a friend of mine in Ringwood the next day."

Jayne said that in a lot of cases she gave dogs to people who were vulnerable and the animals provided much-needed companionship for them.

She added: "They're normally sold within five miles. They just take it to the next village and knock on a few doors.

"If somebody pinched my car I wouldn't care because it's insured, but if somebody stole my dog it would be emotional.

"There's so much emotion involved, people will do anything to get their dog back."

Kaye Fitzgerald-Gorham, of Lurcher Search UK, which reunites lost and stolen dogs with their owners across the country, added: "It's always been a problem with lurchers.

"I think it's become more widespread with other breeds now because people have cottoned on to the fact that people will pay to get their dogs back, so it's quite a nice little earner."

• If you can help with the stolen dog, call Jayne on 07736 176613.