A couple of days ago I read an appeal about dogs free to a good home’. I’ve never believed an animal should be given free to a good home – if you can’t keep it, take it to a shelter. The particular dog in question ended up used as live bait to train fighting dogs – naturally it was killed. Here’s a frightening warning on the same subject.
Dog thieves in Peterborough are targeting people out walking their dogs and not necessarily in isolated areas, mostly when they’re just walking along the street. A number of men in an old white van with false plates pulls up, the back doors open and 3 men jump out and try and try to steal the dog from its owner.
They’re not going for specific breeds, it’s been staffies, an old English sheep dog and they roughed up the owner of a retriever they were trying to steal. The same thing has been happening in other areas too, there have been similar incidents in various parts of Leicester but the police seem to think it’s the same gang doing the rounds picking up dogs to use as bait dogs for fighting.
No suggestions in any of the reports of the nationality of the dog thieves but incidents have been reported in Peterborough, then the next day in Litchfield in Staffordshire, later in the week in Long Eaton in Derbyshire and Oadby and Groby in Leicestershire. Same battered white van has been being spotted in a number of locations.
In Peterborough attempted thefts were mid-morning, mid-evening and in the early hours of the morning when dogs were being walked on the street, fortunately all unsuccessful. In one case the staffie went for the man trying to grab it and bit him, in another the dog escaped and ran off but was later found safe and well. In the third case a man walking an old english sheep dog mid-evening was attacked by 3 men who tried to steal if, but he fought back and they drove off.
Anyone seeing anything suspicious or who has been targeted by these men has been asked to ring the police on 101, ask for the Leicester Police and quote incident 430, or ask for DC Poole at Peterborough Police. All incidents can be reported to either of these forces who would the contact the local police to deal.
Just a general warning out on the forums at present about sighthound thefts, as there has been an increase in reported thefts supposedly by members of the travelling community, now the illegal hare coursing season has started. The local animal shelter has been approached by members of the travelling community after lurchers, which thee shelter is refusing to rehome to them.