Seven cocker spaniel puppies – worth £2,000 each – stolen in east Cambs burglary

Seven puppies – worth up to £2,000 each – have been stolen in a burglary in Cottenham. Picture: Supplied/Cambs Cops (Image: Archant)

Police detectives are urging the public to be on the lookout for a family of cocker spaniels following the burglary in Cottenham on Wednesday (July 22).

Thieves forced their way into a caravan in Setchell Drove between 1.30pm and 2.30pm before stealing the litter of seven puppies and their mother. A wallet was also stolen.

Detective Sergeant Ashley Ryan, of the force’s southern burglary team, said: “The owners are utterly heartbroken and extremely concerned for the welfare of their dogs.

“I’m urging anyone who has been offered a similar looking dog, or knows someone who has, to get in touch.”

Seven puppies – worth up to £2,000 each – have been stolen in a burglary in Cottenham. Picture: Supplied/Cambs Cops (Image: Archant)

Anyone with information is asked to call police on 101 quoting reference 35/48592/20 alternatively report online www.cambs.police.uk/report

Dog owners are advised to:

• Keep an ID tag on your dog at all times

• Lock gates using bolts at the top and bottom, along with a heavy-duty padlock.

• Ensure there are no places where dogs or other animals can escape or be pulled through, if they are left in a back garden.

• Never leave your pet in the garden unattended

• Fit a bell or gate alarm so it makes a sound when someone opens it

• Purchase a driveway alarm so you are alerted to any visitors, these can also be used in rear gardens

• Make sure your dog is microchipped and their details are updated so that they can be returned if they are stolen and subsequently found.

• Avoid leaving a dog tied up outside a shop or left alone in a car, even for a few minutes

• Take lots of photographs of your dog to prove ownership if it’s stolen and then found.

• Report dog theft to police straight away.