Above: the UK's pet theft hotspots.

New research reveals the pets that are most in danger of being stolen, with Staffordshire Bull Terriers being named as the most vulnerable dogs.

The research, from ADT,  compiled data from police forces across the country to see where the most, and least, pets are stolen as well as what pets are stolen. 

See the full research here: https://www.adt.co.uk/blog/the-adt-pet-theft-report 

The most commonly stolen pets:

Man’s best friend takes first place, making up 23% of pet thefts since 2017. Dog thefts peaked last year at 1,155 but the number of thefts per 100,000 people has remained relatively consistent, only rising by 4.9% over the last five years. 

Up next are birds, with more than 2,500 instances of animals being stolen over the last five years, giving it a total of eight pet thefts per 100,000 people. 2021 was the peak year for stealing our feathered friends with over 1,200 stolen over this period and Devon and Cornwall have the highest rates of bird theft, recording more than 1,500 of these crimes. 

Taking third place are our feline friends with more than 1,300 instances of cat theft over the last five years. Cat thefts are also on the rise, averaging around an 18% increase year on year since 2017.

ADT looked further into dog related pet thefts, finding out which dogs are at the most risk of being stolen. 

The most commonly stolen dog breeds: 

It’s no surprise that Staffies take the top spot for the most commonly stolen dog breed as they’re one of the UK’s most popular dogs. They account for just over a quarter of the total dog thefts for the areas we looked at or 5.6 thefts per 100,000 people over the last five years.     

Chihuahuas take second place, making up 12% of total dog thefts since 2017. Their tiny size not only makes Chihuahuas adorable but also makes them an easy target for dog thieves too. Thanks to high demand and a reasonably high resale value for thieves.       

Taking third place is another small breed, French Bulldogs. These dogs have soared in popularity over the last five years and with this unfortunately comes a rise in thefts, nearly doubling between 2020 and 2021. Frenchies can be sold for up to £3,0000 making them a highly prized target for thieves.  

Further Insights 

• Gwent Police have not recorded any dog thefts over the past five years making it one of the safest places for our four-legged friends. 
• Bird thefts make up the majority of pet thefts in Devon and Cornwall, with more than 1500 instances of bird theft being reported since 2017. 
• There have been over 437 recorded dog thefts in Northumbria since 2017.