China News Service, February 19th. According to the European Times, during the COVID-19 pandemic, the demand for pet dogs in the UK market has soared, leading to a soaring price of pet dogs and also stimulating dog theft.
Data map: pet dog.
According to reports, data from the British animal organization "DogLost" shows that the number of dog theft cases in the UK has risen from 172 cases in 2019 to 465 cases in 2020, an increase of 270%.
A staff member of the organization said, “I have worked here for 30 years, but 2020 is undoubtedly the worst year I have ever experienced.”
Sara Wood, who lost six pet dogs in 2020, said that he was "very angry" at the theft.
British National Police Chiefs’ Commission Deputy Sheriff Blakeman said, “Although pet dog theft is quite rare, it has occurred frequently in recent times.”
At present, the price of puppies has risen from £500 before the epidemic to over £2,000.
Blakeman said, "This has made the black market trade of puppies lucrative and has encouraged organized crime."
According to reports, members of criminal organizations will disguise themselves as staff members of a well-known animal protection association in the United Kingdom. They usually drive a truck with the organization’s logo to the dog’s owner’s house, saying that the dog has been affected by the dog before. The stolen pet dog information is consistent, and then the pet dog is taken away from the owner.
The British police and the Animal Protection Association have made it clear that the staff of the Animal Protection Association will never take other people's pet dogs in this way. Generally, they will first notify the police station and show their own ID to the pet dog owner.