POLICE in West Cumbria are aware of a number of reports on reports on social media around properties being reportedly marked with chalk or similar associated with the theft of animals, officers would encourage anyone to report any suspicious activity to police.
A Cumbria Police spokesman said: “The number of reports we receive of suspected dog thefts in the county remains relatively low. However, such an occurrence is obviously extremely upsetting for the owner of the dog.
“There are a number of steps people should take before contacting the police if their pet goes missing including checking with family and friends who have access to the pet and neighbours who might have seen the dog.
“If you do believe your dog has been stolen, contact the police giving as much detail as you can about the circumstances and a description of the dog.”
Advice
- Don’t leave your pet tied-up unattended, such as 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 details such as 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 (from 6 April 2016, all dogs must be microchipped and registered to an approved database by the time they are eight weeks old).
- Ask your vet to check your dog’s microchip every year to ensure your details are accurate and up-to-date
- From April 2016, all dogs must be microchipped and registered to an approved database by the time they are eight weeks old.
- Ensure your garden or yard is secure.
Members of the public can report stray dogs to Allerdale Borough Council through their website at https://www.allerdale.gov.uk/en/report/report-stray-dog/‘
Anyone with any information or to report suspicious activity contact police on 101, email [email protected] or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
