More than 2,000 dogs were stolen last year, according to a report by Direct Line Pet Insurance, the equivalent of six per day.
This figure is less than previous years, with dog theft numbers having dropped by 22 per cent year-on-year. And of the 2,160 reported having been taken, only 25 per cent were returned to their owners.
American Bulldogs, Staffordshire Bull Terriers, and French Bulldogs are the most frequently stolen breeds, while London had the highest number of reports, with 396 canines stolen, as opposed to next highest Kent, with 177, followed by West Yorkshire with 130.
