Dog lovers are being encouraged to paws for thought and keep their dog safe from thieves during national Pet Theft Week, 14 to 21 March 2014.

In light of official police data* which shows that from January 1st to October 31st 2013 911 cats and dogs were reported stolen in the UK – the equivalent of three pets every day – Jerry Green Dog Rescue is reminding owners of the steps they can take to avoid falling victim to theft.

The data was published as part of a recent Pet Theft Census** of 4,865 cat and dog owners, which revealed over half of the dogs stolen were taken from gardens, 19% during a house break-in, 16% from owners whilst walking dogs and 7% while tied up outside shops.

The five most popular dog breeds to be stolen were Staffordshire Bull Terrier (15%), Labrador (11%), Spaniel (8%), German Shepherd (8%) and Chihuahua (6%).

“Sadly dog theft is becoming a big problem and our centres have noticed more people contacting us with reports of suspected dog theft,” said Angela Salisbury, Head of Operations for Jerry Green Dog Rescue.

“Pet Theft Awareness Week is a great opportunity to remind people of the simple steps they can take to help keep their dog safe from thieves. Don’t leave your pet tied up outside of shops or unattended in gardens; it’s even risky to leave your dog alone in a car.

“Make sure that your details are clearly labelled on your dog’s collar or a tag; it’s not only a legal requirement but can help to identify your dog if it is stolen. By April 2016 dog owners will also have a legal duty to microchip their dog. We offer a free microchipping service at all of our centres and would strong recommend getting this done as soon as possible.

“Report any suspicious activity to police and never buy a dog or puppy from a non-reputable breeder. And finally if you want a new pet consider a rescue dog; we have over 160 that need a new home.”

Arnot Wilson, Director of the Dog Union and Co-founder of Pet Theft Awareness also commented: “We are absolutely delighted that Jerry Green Dog Rescue is supporting Pet Theft Awareness Week. We hope with their encouragement people will become more vigilant in preventing their pets from being stolen in this ever growing crime. Missing dogs are not all fortunate enough to be handed in to one of Jerry Green’s centres for reunification.”

ENDS

Notes to editors:

*Following Freedom of Information requests by OnePoll on behalf of MORE TH>N Pet Insurance, useable data on cat and dog theft in 2012 and 2013 was obtained from 40 police forces in Great Britain.

** The MORE TH>N Pet Theft Census was conducted by OnePoll on behalf of MORE TH>N Pet Insurance in November 2013.

Jerry Green Dog Rescue was founded in 1961 in Broughton, Lincolnshire and is now one of the UK’s largest dog rescue charities. It has rescue centres in five locations:

• Broughton near Brigg, North Lincolnshire
• Algarkirk near Boston, Lincolnshire
• Blidworth near Mansfield, Nottinghamshire
• Gilberdyke, East Yorkshire
• Thirsk, North Yorkshire

Jerry Green Dog Rescue has a caring ethos which puts the dogs in its care at the centre of everything it does. It also operates a unique policy whereby prospective adopters are not shown the dogs in their kennels; instead the charity introduces individual dogs to adopters in a neutral environment which is less stressful for the dogs.

People who offer to rehome a Jerry Green dog do so as adopters, not owners. Jerry Green Dog Rescue retains ownership of its dogs and insists on a number of meetings and home visits before a dog is adopted.

The charity receives no official funding, nor does it receive any money from the National Lottery Fund. This means it is dependent on the generosity of public and corporate donors and sponsors.

For media information please contact:
Sarah Howells
Shooting Star PR
01522 528540
sarah@weareshootingstar.co.uk
@shootingstarpr
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