Dog thefts in Lambeth and Wandsworth more than double since 2016

Dog thefts in Lambeth and Wandsworth have more than doubled since 2016, according to new data from police forces.

Freedom of Information requests made by money.co.uk reveal the number of dog thefts reported across Lambeth and Wandsworth totalled 32 in 2020, up from 13 in 2016.

Last year alone, Lambeth had reports of 17 dog thefts and Wandsworth had 15, more than nearly every other London borough. Of the 32 boroughs in London, only Croydon and Bromley recorded more dog thefts.

Clapham Common is the closest green space for Sophie Verlaan and her partner Nick to walk their 5-month-old Cocker Spaniel, Sirius. Speaking with Nub News, Sophie said the rise in dog thefts terrifies her.

"I still don't walk Sirius alone as I'm so scared someone will try and steal him.

"The few times I have, I've walked with my phone on video mode, shared my location and stayed super close to home.

"My friend even bought a rape alarm specifically to attach to her dachshund's lead. It's not a rape alarm, it's a dog theft alarm."

In May, when the government set up a taskforce to look into what is contributing to the rise in dognapping the home secretary, Priti Patel, said it was "deplorable" and "callous" of criminals to steal much-loved pets for profit.

She said: "This new taskforce will ensure we know how best to combat the driving forces behind this distressing crime and clamp down on the perpetrators."

For Sophie, a taskforce to find out what is contributing to more dog thefts will see hundreds more dogs stolen before any meaningful change is implemented.

"We already know what's contributing to the rise in dognapping," she told Nub News.

"Some breeds are selling for more than £6,000. It sounds insane, but the demand is there.

"Compare the sentence you'd get for dealing £6,000 of cocaine to stealing £6,000 of cockapoo. The law values a dog the same as a bike, so the first risks years in prison and the second risks, what, a telling off ?

"Dogs are family members. Sirius is more like our child. To the people stealing dogs, he's just a risk-free reward that happens to have fur and a heartbeat."

The taskforce aims to publish its recommendations in the autumn. In the meantime, dog owners across London are advised to stay vigilant to the threat.

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