With people spending more time at home since the pandemic, the demand for pets, and dogs in particular, has considerably increased this past year. Unfortunately as a consequence of this, the price of dogs has also risen, resulting in a 170% increase in incidents of pet theft according to reports by DogsLost, with 172 dogs reported stolen in 2019, increasing to 465 in 2020. Many of these cases have involved incidents of physical assault towards the owner, resulting in concerns for both the pet's and the owner's personal safety.

Following this alarming rise, Suzy Lamplugh Trust and partners have developed an informative animation along with a downloadable leaflet, sponsored by Animal Friends Insurance, to help ensure your safety and your pet's safety when you are out and about with your dog, as well as tips for keeping your property safer, reducing the overall risk of animal theft.

Suzy Lamplugh Trust is the UK's leading personal safety charity, and our mission is to reduce the risk of harassment, aggression and violence through campaigning, education and support. Our aim is to ensure you return home safe at the end of each day, and live life safe across all aspects of your life.

The animation and leaflet, which are sponsored by Animal Friends Insurance, provide tips and advice on personal safety as well as information on what to do should your dog be taken, such as reporting procedures and what evidence could be useful for a police investigation.

We will be sharing the tips and advice across our social media channels throughout this week, and you can watch the animation here: