New figures have revealed the five dog breeds most likely to be stolen in Liverpool.
There are a shocking number of dog stolen from homes, parks and gardens every year. The number of dogs stolen in Merseyside last year was 30% higher than the figure from 2020, according to new figures obtained by The ECHO from Merseyside Police.
The ECHO used the Freedom of Information Act to find out how many stolen dogs were reported to Merseyside Police over the last five years and what breeds were taken. Between January 2017 and December 2021 police recorded 215 dogs were stolen in Merseyside.
READ MORE: Teen savagely attacked on birthday trip to watch Liverpool FC
On average around 43 dogs are stolen per year in the region, but 2020 saw a large drop in stolen pets due to the coronavirus pandemic. The dog breed most likely to be stolen in Merseyside is a Bulldog, with 36 being stolen from homes over the last five years.
Staffordshire Bull Terriers were the second dog breed most likely to be taken, with 28 incidents, and the third was the American Bulldog breed, with 11 being abducted. Joint fourth came Bull Terriers and Jack Russell's, with nine of each being stolen and the joint sixth most likely dog breeds to be stolen were German Shepherds, Pugs and Shih Tzu's.
One incident in November saw masked men force their way into a Fazakerley home and steal seven French Bulldog puppies. Kaitlyn McCormack from Fazakerley wasn't home at the time but says the animals were taken while her mum Janine Walsh was in the house.
Janine told TeamDogs : "Two men were standing at the door, I opened the door thinking it was my son's friends but saw they were in balaclavas so tried to slam the door and they kicked their way through. One took me into the living room while the other went into the kitchen with two bags and took all seven puppies.
"My seven-year-old son came down as they were taking the pups. They also sat him down on the couch with me, while the other one continued to take the puppies and be aggressive before leaving."
Dogs Trust has released a list of ways to help prevent your dog from being stolen. Advice includes, limiting how many pictures you share of your dog and making sure your address cannot be identified in photos, reporting any suspicious activity to police and making sure your dog is microchipped.
A spokesperson from the charity said: "If your dog is stolen then you can feel helpless and have no idea where to start looking for them. But here are some practical things you can do to give you the best chance of being reunited with your pooch.
"Report the theft to the police straight away and make sure you get a crime reference number and insist that your dog is recorded as stolen and not missing. Report the theft of your dog to your local authority dog warden and notify your microchip database provider.
"Ask local rescue centres, animal charities and vet practices to keep an eye out for your dog. Monitor places thieves may try to sell your dog, like pet websites, pet shops and notice boards. "
