Beware! Dog-nappers at large
Posters have been gone up in many parts of Essex warning dog owners about thieves targeting their pets.
Over the course of the ongoing pandemic, the number of dog owners have increased exponentially in Essex, with a large number of families now owning a canine. These wonderful animals have helped a lot people endure a mentally challenging year. They have helped people get out of the house, which has aided their daily exercise whilst gyms have been shut, as well as being a close companion whilst social interaction was prohibited.
I spoke to Vimal Patel, a 23-year-old who had started his working career just before the first lockdown. Vimal has admired dogs his whole life, and he was finally able to persuade his family into getting one this February. They have now sheltered Bella, a golden cocker spaniel retriever, and she has changed their entire home and lifestyle. “She’s changed everything, everyone in the family is always in high spirits, I really don’t know how we survived this long without her.”
Despite all the positives that Bella and every other dog that now part of the the family have provided, unfortunately they are all now terrified and under threat of losing them. The number of dog thefts has been on a consistent rise, with more and more cases being reported to Essex Police. Most of the dogs that have been stolen have been used for crossbreeding or for resale value.
On many occasions, dogs have been taken whilst on a walk with their owners, or even from the back garden of their own home. The police have instructed owners to attach a lead to dogs if they were to go on walks, and also make sure access to their back gardens is secure. On top of this, they have advised owners to get their dog microchipped, meaning if the dog is stolen, they are much easier to trace and retrieve.
Essex Police have released statistics that show 83 dog thefts have taken place since January 2020 in the county. There have been 11 incidents in March across Essex this month alone.
I myself also had an experience with an attempted dog theft on the 30th of March. A woman had knocked on our door, rushed into the house with her cockerpoo (Winnie), and informed us that a van had been following them both for the previous 10 to 15 minutes. Two men were in the van, one of whom got out of the vehicle and attempted to take Winnie away.
Fortunately, we were able to let them inside whilst the van was parked just outside my family’s driveway. The van had remained there for nearly 30 minutes. What alarmed me the most about this incident was the timing and the placement. My house is located on a high street, with cars driving past at nearly every second. It was also roughly 13:30pm with bright sunny skies. Neither of these factors had stood in the way of the thieves trying to take Winnie.
Vimal spoke of how nervous he is walking his dog in locally in Epping Forest. “Even on walks, now if anyone comes up to Bella, I’m wary of them because I really am scared of someone taking her’,” he said. In a year where social contact and communication has been so limited, chatting with fellow dog owners on walks has been a much-needed release from the Covid-19 world.
“Now, when people ask for her name, breed or even just to say how gorgeous she is, I struggle to trust what their intention is,” Vimal added. In recent months, as dog theft reports have been on the rise, that interaction has diminished, with more people, like Vimal for example, who fear more for their dog’s safety. “Even with her on the lead, when you hear some of the stories, it doesn’t feel safe enough.”
In Essex, there are now group chats available for any information regarding dog theft. Any suspicious activities or attempted theft will be uploaded to the chat to warn fellow dog owners in the area.
It is a sickening thought to steal a puppy, as well as putting a family and their children in pure despair at losing a pet who they truly cherish. As lockdown eases and more people get out and about, hopefully it will become harder for thieves to target dog owners in public spaces.
Feature image by kim_hester from Pixabay.
This flows well and the screenshot helps to paint a clear picture of such an awful thing that’s happening at the moment. Including first-hand experience as well as quotes from your interviewee really adds to it and I like how it ends on an optimistic note
Hi Ethan, this is an engaging short, newsy feature about the growing problem of dog thefts. It blends some good quotes from your interviewee with useful stats and your own personal account of helping someone who was seemingly being targeted by thieves. Did your family think about calling the police during the 30 minutes that the van was parked outside your house? This reads well but some exploration of the wider picture (e.g., stats on rising dog ownership and thefts across the UK, the value of pedigree puppies – some are worth up to £3,000) would have indicated how the experiences of pet owners in your local area fit into the national context. There was no credit for your original photo, so I have added one from Pixabay which is copyright free. Overall, though, well done.
This is a really good piece, there is a nice balance between information and the personal anecdote! It is really interesting to see how dog thefts have impacted one area, let alone over the whole country.