Sky News
A month ago, a Londoner was assaulted and robbed of his dog while walking him in a park. The animal, which helped him fight depression, is still nowhere to be found despite a strong mobilization.”
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British police are seeing a huge increase in dog theft. The Covid-19 crisis seems to have contributed to this worrying trend, with demand for pets booming due to lockdown and isolation. Even more worrying, the authorities note that these thefts are becoming more and more violent.”
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Mike Jasper, a resident of South London, had the bitter experience of this. Last month, the retiree was walking his dog Ted at Cannon Hill Common Park, when he was approached by a stranger. While he was asking her about his English Cocker Spaniel, an accomplice came from behind, attacked him, hit him in the back and knocked him down. He had to receive himself on the hand and therefore let go of the leash, his daughter Lucinda tells Sky News.
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The latter explains that her father is completely broken since Ted’s abduction. The dog was indeed helping Mike Jasper manage his anxiety and depression. He had made remarkable progress mentally thanks to the canid.”
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Posters were distributed and put up, search notices were circulated on social media, and many people offered their help in bringing Ted back to his family. A reward of 5000 pounds sterling (about 5600 euros) was even promised. A month after the flight, the quadruped remains untraceable.”
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Read also: A soldier adopts a puppy during his deployment and asks for the help of an association to repatriate him home to his country
According to the association DogLost, the number of reports of stolen dogs has increased from 172 in 2019 to 465 in 2020, an increase of 170%. Thieves often target purebred animals, hoping to profit from their resale on the parallel market.”
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