Jon Cruddas, pictured with his dog Joni, was contacted by concerned residents about the issue (Credit: Jon Cruddas)
Jon Cruddas urged his constituents yesterday “to be aware and remain vigilant” because of “allegations which suggest pets [are] being taken in the street”.
The Labour MP said residents had highlighted Romford’s Rush Green, on the border of Havering, as a hotspot for dog theft “among other” areas.
Mr Cruddas said he launched a survey to understand the scale of the problem after he was contacted by concerned constituents.
“They should not be in a position where they are fearful of taking the dog for a walk,” he said, “these reports are very worrying, especially given the nature of some of the allegations which suggest pets being taken in the street.
“As a dog owner, I know just how much our pets mean to us, so I am urging residents across the constituency to be aware and remain vigilant.”
Between January 2010 and February 2021, 111 dogs were snatched in Barking and Dagenham, according to statistics from the Metropolitan Police.
More canines were stolen in the borough than in Havering (93), Redbridge (96) and Waltham Forest (78) over the same period, but slightly fewer than in Newham (113).
The figures also show 206 fish, 29 birds, 17 cats, three reptiles and two insects were reported as stolen from their owners in Barking and Dagenham during that time.
The animals went missing in a mix of burglaries, thefts and robberies, and 94% were not recovered.
Mr Cruddas said he wants the latest figures from police and he “will be working to ensure that all routes are explored to prevent these crimes in the future”.
But police told Time 107.5 its wildlife crime team had received only two reports of the incidents over the last year.
While this suggests incidence of the crime is decreasing, Sgt Carroll Weeden said it may be because people feel increasingly more comfortable sharing crimes with social media than the authorities.
She told Time 107.5 she had seen “community reporting direct onto Facebook but not reporting to police.
Sgt Weeden said it would “help enormously if admins for community pages could encourage signposting to report it.
“I understand the community may feel there is no point, or demotivated to report it, but if we have those reports police have duty of care then to follow up, investigate and progress matters.”
She admitted “this is a an area that needs working on” but urged residents “to report, even if it is a believed attempt, then we can build up a good intelligence picture but also hotspot analysis and build confidence with the community”.
Some residents have already been taking steps to safeguard their pets.
Mari Cunliffe said police officers advised her to buy twist-locking carabiner clips, which are shackles often used in climbing, to protect her puppies.
Residents have been sharing tips on how best to protect their pets (Credit: Facebook / Mari Cunliffe)
“I’ve attached them to Teo and Sami’s harnesses to make it harder for a dog thief to just bend down and unclip their leads. Took me a while to get the hang of them myself,” she told fellow members of a Facebook group dedicated to dogs.
Nicola Kilcoyne-Seru commented: “I do that with my Poppy too, also good if you buy the proper mountaineering ones that have some strength to them.”
Ms Cunliffe told Time 107.5 she works for a dog re-homing business where she tries to raise awareness of dog theft “but also to warn those who re-home dogs to be very wary they are not buying a stolen pet”.
If you have been a victim of dognapping call police on 101 or 999 if it is an emergency.
Alternatively, you can report crimes online or by sending a direct message to @MetCC on Twitter.
For more on this story, and the latest on our other local and national news, listen to Time 107.5FM
Tags: Barking and Dagenham, Jon Cruddas, dognapping, pets
