Owners Hope For News After 83 Suspected Stolen Dogs Rescued

Owners of dogs stolen across the HFM region are waiting to find out if they are among 83 animals rescued by Police in Suffolk.

The suspected stolen dogs are being scanned for microchips and officers are liaising with other police forces, as it is believed many were taken from outside that area.

The dogs were rescued on Saturday, when search warrants were executed at a travellers’ site near Ipswich and six people were arrested.

A large number of police officers and people from partner agencies were involved in the raid, which took nearly 10 hours as they searched and recovered the dogs.

Detective Chief Superintendent Eamonn Bridge from Suffolk Constabulary, called the operation “highly successful and significant” and said it demonstrates how seriously the force take dog thefts.

He said dog thefts have become a particular problem across the UK since the first lockdown started a year ago due to demand for certain breeds and said his officers have worked tirelessly to identify the people they believe are responsible.

“I know many victims of these crimes will be anxious to know whether or not we have recovered their pet,” he said.

“I would like to reassure them that we are working as quickly as possible to identify who all the dogs belong to and aim to reunite them with their owners as soon as we can.”

The dogs were recovered from the West Meadows traveller site on the outskirts of Ipswich. Pic: Google Streetview