Heartbroken owners of stolen spaniel Ruby, highlight the importance of vigilence as dog thefts rise by 70 percent

Gun Dog Awareness Week aims to highlight the need for vigilence as dog thefts rise, with working dogs a target.

Janet Pate and Will Thomas, who live near Fountains Abbey, Ripon, had their cocker spaniel Ruby taken from her kennel. Ruby was gamekeeper Will’s working dog and Janet said they were “devastated” at the loss, but have not given up hope of getting her back.

“Ruby was six and she had been with us since she was eight-weeks-old,” Janet said.

“The day it happened I had just nipped out for half an hour and when I got back the door to Ruby’s kennel was open.

“My first thought was that she was with Will so I tried to ring him and when I got no answer started to look around in case we hadn’t shut the door properly.

“When I spoke to Will and Ruby wasn’t with him, we searched everywhere, staying out all night trying to find her. That was on September 1 and we haven’t seen her since.”

Janet said for weeks afterwards she blamed herself.

“I just kept thinking ‘if only I hadn’t gone out, if I’d stayed at home she would still be here’.”

The couple contacted the Police and DogLost as well as posting on social media.

“I re-post every week just in case someone new sees it and recognises her. People have been so kind and dogs do get returned. We will never lose hope that Ruby will be one of them.”

Janet said it was difficult to explain how deeply the loss of Ruby had affected them both.

“It is not knowing where she is, who has her or what they are doing with her. She is part of our family, we think about her every day and go through every emotion. It is like a death but worse because we don’t know what has happened to her.”

Data from DogLost, the free website which works to reunite lost dogs and their owners, showed an overall increase of 70 per cent in reported thefts this year, with working gundog breeds such as springer and cocker spaniels high on the list of those most frequently targeted.

Figures gained by the BBC also showed an increase in the number of dogs being stolen across the country, with Humberside Police one of four constabularies to register a rise of almost 100 per cent or more.

Toni Paull, British Association for Shooting and Conservation (BASC)’s gundog officer, said: “It is one of those instances that you don’t think it will ever happen to you until it does.

“Having spoken to numerous victims the trauma and pain of losing your dog to criminals is horrific.”

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