Pet Theft Awareness Week

Pet Theft Awareness Week shines a light on a devastating crime: the theft of beloved pets.

The Union of Good Dog People is proud to support Pet Theft Awareness Week and to stand alongside the many organisations and families campaigning for stronger protection for dogs.

Why dogs are stolen

Some dogs are taken for breeding. These dogs can spend years being used as breeding machines before eventually being abandoned or sold on when they are no longer economically useful.

There have been many heartbreaking cases where a dog turns up years after being stolen, clearly having been used for breeding. By that time the physical and emotional toll can be severe.

Ethical breeding is part of the solution

One of the Union’s core beliefs is that supporting ethical, responsible breeders helps reduce the market that drives puppy farming and dog theft.

Small, home-based breeders typically:

• Know every puppy they produce
• Carefully vet potential owners
• Provide lifelong support and take dogs back if circumstances change
• Keep detailed records and maintain close relationships with owners

When puppies are bred responsibly and placed into well-supported homes, the incentive for illegal breeding operations is reduced.

A healthy, transparent breeding culture makes it far harder for criminal networks to operate in the shadows.

Protecting dogs starts with valuing them

For decades, the dog world has often been divided into opposing camps: breeders on one side and rescue on the other. But the truth is that everyone who truly loves dogs shares the same goal: preventing suffering and ensuring every dog is safe and valued.

The Union of Good Dog People believes the best future for dogs comes from raising standards across the whole dog community:

• encouraging ethical breeding
• educating the public about responsible puppy buying
• supporting rescue organisations
• and strengthening protections against dog theft

Standing together for dogs

Pet Theft Awareness Week reminds us that the bond between people and their dogs is precious. Protecting that bond means tackling the causes that make dogs vulnerable to exploitation.

By supporting responsible breeders and encouraging transparency in the puppy market, we can help reduce the criminal demand that leads to dogs being stolen in the first place.

The Union of Good Dog People stands with everyone working to end pet theft and ensure that every dog can live the safe, loved life they deserve.

When a Dog Goes Missing – Why DogLost Matters

One of the organisations that has helped thousands of devastated owners reunite with their missing dogs is DogLost.

DogLost runs a nationwide volunteer network that springs into action the moment a dog is reported missing. Their database, alert system and experienced coordinators have helped bring countless dogs home, sometimes after weeks, months or even years. For many families facing the panic of a missing pet, DogLost.co.uk is the first place they turn.

But their work also highlights an important truth: microchips only work if the details are up to date.

Many lost dogs are found but cannot be reunited quickly because the registered phone number or address linked to the microchip is outdated or incomplete. If you move house, change phone numbers, or transfer ownership of a dog, updating the chip database is essential.

Currently there are more than 20 databases which can make reunification much harder than it should be. A clearer, better-regulated system could help ensure that every chipped dog can be quickly traced back to its family.

Our founder has long campaigned for stronger protection for pets and is a Patron of the excellent Stolen and Missing Pets Alliance. After more than a decade of campaigning, that work finally helped lead to a major legal milestone: the Pet Abduction Act 2024.

Stealing a pet is now recognised in law as pet abduction, acknowledging that dogs and cats are sentient family members, not simply property.

There is also now a new petition calling for improvements to the microchipping system so that when a dog goes missing, the chances of them getting home are as high as possible.

🐾 You can help by:

• Checking your dog’s microchip details are up to date
• Supporting organisations like DogLost
• Signing the petition calling for better microchip reform and enforcement

Because when a dog goes missing, every minute matters — and every good system helps bring them home.

To find out more about DogLost: Click here

To sign the petition: Click here