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Man Finds 70 Stolen Dogs After Tracking Down Thieves Who Took His Spaniels

Joanna Freedman

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Man Finds 70 Stolen Dogs After Tracking Down Thieves Who Took His Spaniels

Featured Image Credit: WNS

A pet owner couldn't believe his eyes when he uncovered a staggering 70 stolen dogs while on a mission to track down his own pet spaniels.

Tony Cronin, from Carmarthenshire, West Wales, recently discovered that five of his spaniels and two litters of puppies had vanished from his care.

So, he decided to go on a detective mission to retrieve them, after getting a tip-off about a possible location where dog-nappers could be staying.

Tony drove to the spot to discover 70 stolen dogs worth up to £40,000 in cages, while others were also roaming freely around the area.

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Check out a clip below:

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The dog owner said: "It was very really well hidden which is why they use it, and as we were going up the track a huge group of dogs came out to greet us.

"There were Westies, Labradors, Pugs - everything running at us barking like mad.

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"Right in the middle of the group was one of my own dogs running towards me, her tail was between her legs as she was frightened.

"She was quite timid and then she saw me and she ran towards me and leaped into my arms and that was that."


Tony called the police after the discovery (Credit: WNS)
Tony called the police after the discovery (Credit: WNS)
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Tony quickly called the police, who subsequently made two arrests over the dog thefts. They have since been released on bail.

Dyfed Powys Police say 22 dogs have since been returned to their owners and 46 remain in kennels.

It comes after a spike in dognapping cases as the demand for dogs soared in lockdown.

The pets were in terrible conditions (Credit: WNS)
The pets were in terrible conditions (Credit: WNS)
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The cost of puppies more than doubled over 2020 - and missing pets website Dogs Lost reported a 170 per cent increase in stolen dogs.

Superintendent Robyn Mason, of Dyfed Powys Police, said: "Dog theft has certainly increased with more people wanting dogs during the pandemic.

"The cost of dogs is going up which means there's more traction for people to steal the dogs and sell them so it has definitely increased over the last year."

Tony was looking for his spaniels (Credit: WNS)
Tony was looking for his spaniels (Credit: WNS)
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The RSPCA has also spoken out, warning people to be on the look out for thieves who might be posing as animal welfare officers.

A spokesman for the charity said: "We would like to remind and reassure the public that our inspectors and rescue officers all wear branded uniforms and carry identification.

"If one of our officers knocks on your door, please ask to see their ID and check their uniform for branding. Our staff wear navy blue uniforms with the RSPCA logo, as well as white shirts with a black or blue tie and black epaulets."

Topics: Dog, Life News, Pets

Joanna Freedman
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