The most targeted areas for dog thefts across Kent have been revealed.

Between January 1 and December 31 last year (2024), a total of 154 dogs were stolen across the county, according to a Freedom of Information request to Kent Police.

But only 21 ended up being recovered.

Debbie Matthews, co-founder of the Stolen and Missing Pets Alliance (SAMPA), had her two Yorkshire terriers, Widget and Gizmo, stolen from her car in 2006.

She said: “It’s just one of the most awful things that can happen to you and your family.

“No one ever thinks it’s going to happen to them until it does, that’s the problem. I think if more people are aware and don’t leave their dogs outside shops or in the car, the better.

“On walks, people need to be keeping their dogs in view, and only letting them off the lead if they’ve got good recall.

“These thieves are really clever and if they’ve got a bag of treats, that’s all it could take.”

Medway (34), Swale (24), and Gravesham (13) were the top dognapping hotspots last year.

But with Medway having a population of almost 300,000, and Swale having around half of that, Sheppey, Sittingbourne, and Faversham have higher concentrated rates of dog theft.

This was followed by Canterbury (12), Folkestone and Hythe (10), Tonbridge and Malling (10), Ashford (12), Thanet (9), Maidstone (8), Sevenoaks (8), Tunbridge Wells (6), Dover (5) and Dartford (3).

In most cases, the breed of the stolen dog was not recorded however, of those that were, XL bullies were the most sought after with seven taken last year.

This was followed by French bulldogs, chihuahuas (four of each), American bulldogs, border collies, and terriers (three of each).

Debbie says the most stolen breeds are usually ones that thieves will be able to make the most money out of.

She explained: “You don’t have to be a rocket scientist to figure out these dogs are being bred from, so that’s why they’re being taken.

“And people who steal puppies are making instant cash. It is interesting to see that XL bullies are the most stolen when they’re banned.”

Betty, a five-month-old French bulldog, was taken from outside her home inBredhurst, in March 2016.

As her owner Luke Thomas appealed for help to track her down, it was discovered Betty had been stolen by some people driving a van who were spotted by a neighbour and caught on CCTV.

But despite Luke’s Facebook post being shared 16,000 times in just a matter of hours, it was 18 months before they got Betty back.

At the time the dad-of-two said: “She has a collar with my name and telephone number on it so if someone honest had picked her up, they would have called me.”

Speaking to KentOnline this week, Luke said: “In the time that she was gone, she changed hands about 10 times. What surprised me was the amount of people who were happy to have my stolen dog. She was a very hot dog, everyone knew about it.”

He added: “It was a really bad time. It was distressing for all of us, Everyone kept saying to me ‘it is just a dog, forget about it’ but I couldn’t forget.”

Betty was eventually found in Bromley, and after a microchip check, she was returned home.

But the family didn’t get the happy ending they had hoped for with Betty. Luke said “she came back a different dog” and after attacking their other dog twice, causing injuries which cost them almost £700 in vet bills, they had to rehome her.

At the end of 2021, Michael Fox and Johanna Kerwien’s pet Björn, a rare toy breed was stolen at Bluewater Shopping Centre in Greenhithe. Michael’s van was in the car park outside John Lewis when the window was smashed and Björn was taken.

The couple, who said Björn was like a child to them, made several video appeals for his safe return which were shared extensively on social media and offered a ‘no questions asked reward’ if he was handed into a safe place.

More than 2,000 people joined a Facebook page and people were sharing posts, printing leaflets, and helping to hand them out.

After appearing on KentOnline, Björn’s theft appeared in several national newspapers.

Five weeks later, the dog was found 20 miles away in East Ham after being bought by someone as a Christmas present.

At the time, owners Michael Fox and Johanna Kerwien spoke of how they “cried tears of happiness” after the dog’s return.

A pet abduction law was introduced in August last year which recognises that “cats and dogs are not inanimate objects but sentient beings capable of experiencing distress and other emotional trauma when they are stolen from their owners or keepers”.

Anyone found guilty of stealing a pet in England or Northern Ireland will face up to five years in prison, a fine, or both.

Debbie says that she’s hopeful that the legislation will act as a deterrent going forward.

She said: “I would imagine with more people aware that the police are going to get involved, hopefully, this will bring the theft numbers down.

“In the last six months, we’ve seen an awful lot more police action.

“They’re sharing missing dogs on social media and we’ve seen dogs reunited with their owners due to police action so they have made a big difference.”

But in the majority of cases, either “evidential difficulties” prevented police action, or the victims ended up withdrawing support from police action.

Four people were charged in relation to dog thefts last year with the offences involving non-fatal strangulation and suffocation, and assault with injury.

But Debbie says many people won’t proceed legally, particularly if their pet has been returned.

She said: “A lot of the time owners won’t proceed because they don’t want to be targeted again, it might be out of fear of anything.

“It’s hard for anyone who has had a stolen dog returned to go public about it because they’re frightened.”

While exact locations were not recorded in 47 of the cases, the most common place dogs were snatched last year was from people’s homes (71) and gardens (12).

Other more unexpected places include hospital grounds (2), golf courses (2), and the pub (1).

In December 2023, a pregnant mum told KentOnline how she had been “traumatised” after an intruder forced his way into their house and stole one of their dogs.

CCTV footage appeared to show three hooded men fleeing the scene in Kiln Way, Halling, and getting into a car, with one carrying away the family’s beloved pet French bulldog Luna.

The dog was later returned following KentOnline’s appeal.

Debbie is encouraging pet owners to make sure their back gardens are safe and secure.

She said: “People open the back door and dogs go out and sometimes people don’t think about how safe their back gardens are.

“Not everyone has gates with locks and outdoor lighting. You can’t leave your dog outside anymore, sadly in this day and age.

“They are usually opportune thieves as well, they’ll see a dog in a garden and take them – but that has always been the number one place. CCTV also helps as well.

“If your dog is stolen, make a lot of noise about it.

“One of the main things that pet owners are unaware of is that their microchip registration isn’t up to date.

“I would tell anybody out there to check that their registration is on one of the government-listed databases. You can never be too safe”.

Superintendent Pete Steenhuis said: “The theft of a pet is not something that Kent Police takes lightly and we understand the devastating impact it has on owners. Officers will do all they can to reunite victims with their animals and identify the perpetrators.

“Our focus will always be on the people and the pets behind the statistics and our priority is to reunite them.

“We urge all pet owners to take every measure they can to keep their animals safe. This includes microchipping, home security like CCTV or security lights and ensuring dogs, for example, are not left outside unattended at any time.

“The force works with partner agencies, charities and volunteers to prevent this sort of crime and we are encouraged that people are coming forward and reporting it to us. Sometimes pets are stolen and victims are asked to pay thieves directly without telling the police.

“Working with victims of these crimes will help us build a better picture of the issues around the county and ensure our advice is getting to the right areas. It will ultimately help us to catch those people who are taking advantage of the bond people have with their animals.”

“If you believe your dog has been stolen, contact us immediately so that we can do everything possible to ensure the culprits are identified and arrested. Always use 999 in an emergency, but otherwise you can report incidents or provide information to us online at www.kent.police.uk.”