Dog theft can be a devastating crime. During the COVID pandemic, newspapers suggested there was an epidemic of "dognapping" in the UK. If you have a dog, the reports may have alarmed you at a time when there were already many reasons to feel afraid.
Authors
- Daniel Allen
Animal Geographer, Keele University
- John Walliss
Senior Lecturer in Criminology, University of Derby
- Melanie Flynn
Senior lecturer in Criminology, Liverpool Hope University
There are mixed views on whether or not lockdown triggered an increase in dog ownership. Animal welfare charity Battersea attributed a 53% increase in dog adoption to lockdown, and online pet adoption service Pets4Homes said in their 2022 report that demand for puppies rose 104% at the peak of lockdown in May 2020.
But animal charity PDSA said its survey data pointed to a gradual increase in dog ownership since 2011 rather than a dramatic surge during lockdown. However, we do know lockdown saw inflated prices for dogs , with some fashionable breeds going for £9,000.
In terms of criminal activity, social distancing restrictions seemed to lead to a decline in some forms of crime , including shoplifting and burglary. But many media outlets reported the number of dog thefts had increased up to 250% during the pandemic.
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We wanted to explore if the data supported claims of a dognapping epidemic and whether patterns in dog theft could suggest ways to help reduce it. Our recent study found new insights into dog theft patterns and showed the situation was more complicated than it seemed at first glance.
Under the Theft Act 1968 , dog theft is not a specific offence . It comes under other theft offences, such as burglary or theft from a person.
This means police records on dog theft were not included in crime statistics. The only way to access such information is through Freedom of Information (FOI) requests to individual police forces. There are 45 territorial and three special police forces in the UK, and each has its own reporting and recording practices.
Although police FOI data for dog theft must be approached with caution , it is useful. Previous studies exploring police FOI data found an upward trend in recorded dog thefts in England and Wales: rising nearly 20% from 2015 (1,545) to 2018 (1,849) for 41 police forces combined; and up 3.5% year on year from 2019 (1,452) to 2020 (1,504) for 33 police forces.
DogLost , a UK online community for reuniting lost and stolen dogs with their owners, reported a 170% increase in stolen dogs (with Crime Reference Numbers) registered on their website in 2020 (465), compared to 2019 (172). This figure was widely quoted as a national increase "since lockdown started" by the media .
The 250% increase figure first quoted in December 2020 was actually a comparison of two seven-month periods (January-July 2019 and 2020) for only one police force.
Patterns and trends
Our study found the data for the period covering the COVID pandemic is also incomplete. Data was provided by 32 forces (71%) for 2020, by 27 forces (60%) for 2021, and 23 forces (51%) for 2022.
Patterns and trends do, however, emerge. Between 2020 and 2022, the available data shows a 3.7% rise in dog thefts in the UK, from 1,573 to 1,631. When making adjustments for the number of police forces providing data (which decreased over the period), the estimated national figures suggest there may have been more significant rise of up to 44.2%.
While we cannot assume that the forces who supplied data are representative of all 45 regional forces, if this were the case, it would equate to 2,212 recorded dog thefts in 2020, 2,645 in 2021, and 3,191 in 2022.
There was a lot of variation between different areas. For example, Cambridgeshire, Gwent and Northumbria police forces experienced increases of 36%, 49% and 80% respectively in the number of recorded dog thefts between 2020 and 2021.
Monthly analysis of data from regional police forces and DogLost, show that the number of reports of stolen dogs started to go up when the UK entered its first national lockdown and again during part of the third lockdown. But the average number of police-recorded dog thefts was actually slightly higher outside of lockdown periods than during them between 2020 and 2022.
However, in contrast with police trends, DogLost data shows a 65.2% drop in dogs reported stolen on DogLost's website in 2022 compared to 2020. Lower DogLost numbers may reflect limited visibility or presence of their networks, the use of alternative lost and stolen dog services, or reluctance to share personal details online due to scams targeting dog theft victims.
Our study found that, overall, there probably was an increase in dog theft from 2020 to 2022, following already identified increases in the preceding years. This rise was probably driven by a combination of opportunity (more dogs, higher value) and situational factors (accessibility, dogs unattended in gardens while owners were inside).
Our evidence does not support the notion of a widespread epidemic as portrayed by the media. However, increased media interest probably amplified awareness of the issue, and influenced the creation of the Pet Theft Taskforce , a UK government initiative set up in May 2021 to investigate and tackle dog thefts.
New research appears to confirm the idea that dog abduction has significant welfare effects on both dogs and their owners. We also know that few dog thefts are successfully resolved, with under a quarter of stolen dogs likely to be returned and around 1%-5% of reported dog thefts result in someone being charged.
However, there is potential good news. Our ongoing research suggests the number of police-recorded dog thefts decreased slightly in 2023, and again in 2024. This is supported by research from pet insurer Direct Line, which has estimated a 21% decrease in the number of stolen dogs from 2,290 in 2023 to 1,808 in 2024 in the UK.
Daniel Allen is founder of Pet Theft Reform and patron of the Stolen and Missing Pets Alliance (Sampa).
Melanie Flynn is a member of the Research Advisory Committee of the Vegan Society (UK).
John Walliss does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
