Appeal After Dogs Stolen From South Kilworth & Near Billesdon

Appeals have been launched after dogs were stolen from two part of the Harborough District within 24 hours.

A young black female Labrador was taken during the early hours of today (Friday) from a farm near Billesdon and five basset hounds were stolen after a break-in at a kennel in South Kilworth, between 5pm on Wednesday and 7.30am yesterday (Thursday)

Owners have been left devastated by the thefts.

The theft from Westerby Basset Hounds in South Kilworth happened after thieves gained to the property via a hedgerow and happened less than a week after a raid at a kennel in nearby North Kilworth.

The dogs, two male and three female, were part of the only pack of working English basset hounds in the county and are regularly seen exercising and following trails around Leicestershire.

All the dogs, named Landlord, Bashful, Lattice, Drama and Banish, were microchipped.

Kennel huntsman Sophie Cripps said: “It’s truly devastating for everyone involved and we urge as many people as possible to raise awareness and help us to bring these hounds back home to our kennels with the rest of the pack.”

An appeal has been launched for information about the whereabouts of the dogs.

Sergeant Paul Archer from Harborough Police said: “This is another upsetting incident for the owners of these dogs and we are carrying out investigations to try and find them.

“We would urge anyone who has seen the dogs or has any information that could help us find them to get in touch.

“We would also ask all dog owners – and particularly those operating kennels – to ensure their property is secure.

Anyone with any information about the theft of the hounds should call Leicestershire Police on 101 quoting reference 21*97226.

Anyone who can help Police following the theft of the Labrador should quote incident number 100 of 19/2/21.

You can also visit https://www.leics.police.uk/ro/report/ocr/af/how-to-report-a-crime/.

There has been a noticeable rise in dogs thefts in recent months – Logan, a three-year-old cockapoo, was taken from North Kilworth last week, but luckily found after being spotted in the village of Heather, near Coalville, following a massive social media appeal.

Other dogs have been stolen in Kibworth, Desborough and near Rothwell, with a reported 250% increase in thefts nationwide as demand for dogs rises during the pandemic.

South Leicestershire’s MP is calling for tougher punishments for people convicted of dog theft.

Animals are currently classed as ‘property’ in law, so sentencing by Courts is limited.

Alberto Costa wants to see jail terms made mandatory and has written to Home Secretary Priti Patel demanding action: