7
Jan
2013
By Calvin at 18:17 GMT, 13 years ago
Hampshire Police have sent out a warning to dog owners about a recent spate of dog thefts around Sutton Scotney and Winchester and have advised them to reassess their security arrangements. It seems that a number of Cocker Spaniels were stolen from kennels in Bullington and Owslebury on 30 and 31 December.
Detective Inspector Tim Ireson from Andover CID said: “The dogs, which have been targeted during these incidents, are highly trained working dogs which are kept in external kennels. I would urge members of the community who own animals of this kind to ensure their security measures are adequate to prevent any further incidents.
Inspector Ireson advised owners to ensure that their dogs have been micro chipped and to take photographs of them to help with identification should they be stolen or go missing. He also recommended alarms, security lights and improved locks.
He also said “Officers from our Countrywatch teams have been visiting the victims and gamekeepers in the affected areas to offer crime prevention advice and will be continuing to do this. I would urge you to report any suspicious activity around your kennels, no matter how small it may seem, as it could help us find those responsible”
This website has a plethora of advice for dog owners’ security needs, but do take a look at this link to see what you can do about micro-chipping.
Anyone with information about the incidents should contact the Winchester Rural North Safer Neighbourhoods Team on 101 or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111
Related links:
Micro-chipping pets: http://thecrimepreventionwebsite.com/property-identification--marking-tagging-and-tracking/595/pets-and-microchipping/
