Dog and Cat Thefts 2021 to 2023
Publication Number
PUB 1533
Publication Statement
Please note that this information is correct as at 11 July 2023 and may be subject to change.
As with all publications of information by Essex Police, please note caveats may apply regarding the accuracy of data.
Title
Dog and Cat Thefts 2021 to 2023
Date Range
January 2021 to June 2023
Background Information
Provided the number of dog theft offences between January and June 2023 with breakdowns by district, theft location type, property description and outcomes. Also provided the number of cat theft offences between January 2021 and June 2023 with breakdowns by district, theft location type, number of cats reported stolen, property description and outcomes.
Related Documents/Links
Dog Thefts 2015 to 2022 | Essex Police
Cat Thefts 2016-2020 | Essex Police
Numbers of Stolen Pets 2019 to 2022 | Essex Police
FOI Publication
Dog Thefts
Data is from 01/01/2023 to 30/06/2023
Data is based on theft offence crimes and robbery offence crimes where the ‘property code’ is ‘pet animal – dog’ and the ‘property status’ is ‘stolen’ and/or ‘stolen/recovered’, broken down by month.
Also, please note that this is number of thefts in which dogs were stolen, and not quantity of dogs stolen in each theft.
|
District |
Jan-23 |
Feb-23 |
Mar-23 |
Apr-23 |
May-23 |
Jun-23 |
Grand Total |
|
Basildon |
|
|
1 |
|
2 |
|
3 |
|
Braintree |
|
2 |
2 |
|
1 |
|
5 |
|
Chelmsford |
|
|
1 |
|
|
3 |
4 |
|
Colchester |
1 |
1 |
|
|
|
|
2 |
|
Epping Forest |
|
|
|
4 |
|
1 |
5 |
|
Harlow |
|
|
|
|
1 |
|
1 |
|
Maldon |
|
|
1 |
|
|
|
1 |
|
Rochford |
|
|
|
|
1 |
|
1 |
|
Southend-on-Sea |
|
|
1 |
1 |
|
1 |
3 |
|
Tendring |
|
|
|
|
1 |
|
1 |
|
Thurrock |
1 |
|
|
1 |
1 |
1 |
4 |
|
Uttlesford |
|
|
|
|
|
2 |
2 |
|
Not Recorded |
|
|
|
|
|
1 |
1 |
|
Grand Total |
2 |
3 |
6 |
6 |
7 |
9 |
33 |
Location “type” isn’t well recorded, but below are some types of location where the pets have been stolen / stolen/recovered from.
|
Location Premises Type |
Count of CRN |
|
Flat/Apartment |
1 |
|
Hotel / B&B / Guest house |
1 |
|
House - Bungalow |
1 |
|
Public House / Bar / Night Club |
1 |
|
Street / Road |
1 |
|
Not Recorded |
28 |
|
Grand Total |
33 |
‘Property description’ in this case ‘dog breeds’ are not properly recorded on our system.
The below table represents all the information we hold on the dog theft offences in 2023 (Jan-Jun).
Other descriptive things such as: age, gender of the pet and the location the pet was stolen (i.e. walk, home, garden, outside shop, from car); are also not recorded / or recorded only sometimes as the fields set are not mandatory.
|
Description |
Jan-23 |
Feb-23 |
Mar-23 |
Apr-23 |
May-23 |
Jun-23 |
Grand Total |
|
1 YR OLD FEMALE |
1 |
|
|
|
|
|
1 |
|
BLACK AND TAN |
|
|
|
|
|
1 |
1 |
|
FEMALE |
|
|
1 |
|
|
|
1 |
|
FRENCH BULLDOG |
|
|
|
|
1 |
1 |
2 |
|
MALE |
|
|
1 |
|
|
|
1 |
|
SPRINGER/COLLIE CROSS |
|
|
|
|
|
1 |
1 |
|
STAFFY |
|
|
1 |
|
|
|
1 |
|
WHITE WITH GREY EARS |
|
|
|
1 |
|
|
1 |
|
Not Recorded |
1 |
3 |
3 |
5 |
6 |
6 |
24 |
|
Grand Total |
2 |
3 |
6 |
6 |
7 |
9 |
33 |
The below data represents outcomes for theft offence crimes and robbery offence crimes where the ‘property code’ is ‘pet animal – dog’ and the ‘property status’ is ‘stolen’ and/or ‘stolen/recovered’ (For Jan-Jun 2023).
|
Outcome Type |
Grand Total |
|
Type 14 - Evidential Difficulties Victim Based- Suspect Not Identified: Crime Confirmed But The Victim Either Declines Or Unable To Support Further Police Investigation To Identify The Offender |
6 |
|
Type 15 - Named Suspect Identified: Victim Supports Police Action But Evidential Difficulties Prevent Further Action |
5 |
|
Type 16 - Named Suspect Identified: Evidential Difficulties Prevent Further Action: Victim Does Not Support (Or Has Withdrawn Support From) Police Action |
6 |
|
Type 18 - Investigation Complete; No Suspect Identified. Crime Investigated As Far As Reasonably Possible-Case Closed Pending Further Investigative Opportunities Becoming Available |
9 |
|
Type 8 - Community resolution (Crime) |
1 |
|
Under Investigation |
6 |
|
Grand Total |
33 |
Cat Thefts
Data is from 01/01/2021 to 30/06/2023
Data is based on theft offence crimes and robbery offence crimes where the ‘property code’ is ‘pet animal – cat’ and the ‘property status’ is ‘stolen’ and/or ‘stolen/recovered’, broken down by month.
Also, please note that this is number of thefts in which cats were stolen, and not quantity of cats stolen in each theft.
|
|
2021 |
2022 |
2023 |
|
|||||||||||||||||||||
|
District |
Jan |
Feb |
Mar |
Apr |
May |
Jun |
Jul |
Sep |
Oct |
Nov |
Jan |
Feb |
Mar |
Apr |
May |
Jun |
Jul |
Aug |
Sep |
Oct |
Nov |
Dec |
Feb |
Apr |
Grand Total |
|
Basildon |
1 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1 |
|
|
|
2 |
|
|
|
|
|
1 |
|
|
|
5 |
|
Braintree |
|
|
|
|
|
1 |
|
|
1 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
2 |
|
|
|
1 |
|
5 |
|
Brentwood |
|
1 |
|
|
|
|
1 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
2 |
|
Castle Point |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1 |
|
Chelmsford |
|
|
|
|
|
1 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1 |
1 |
|
|
1 |
|
|
|
4 |
|
Colchester |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1 |
2 |
|
|
|
|
|
1 |
1 |
3 |
1 |
1 |
|
10 |
|
Epping Forest |
|
|
|
|
|
|
1 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1 |
|
|
|
|
|
2 |
|
Harlow |
|
|
1 |
|
|
1 |
|
1 |
|
|
|
|
|
1 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
4 |
|
Maldon |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1 |
|
Rochford |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
2 |
|
Southend-on-Sea |
|
|
|
|
1 |
|
|
1 |
|
|
|
|
|
1 |
|
|
|
1 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
4 |
|
Tendring |
1 |
|
|
1 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
2 |
|
Thurrock |
|
|
|
|
|
1 |
1 |
1 |
|
1 |
|
|
|
|
|
1 |
|
1 |
|
|
|
|
|
1 |
7 |
|
Uttlesford |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
1 |
|
Grand Total |
2 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
4 |
3 |
3 |
3 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
1 |
5 |
4 |
1 |
5 |
1 |
2 |
1 |
50 |
|
|
20 |
27 |
3 |
||||||||||||||||||||||
Location “type” isn’t well recorded, but below are some types of location where the pets have been stolen / stolen/recovered from.
|
Location Premises Type |
Count of CRN |
|
House - Bungalow |
1 |
|
Shop / Store / Supermarket |
1 |
|
Not Recorded |
48 |
|
Grand Total |
50 |
The below table represents number of cat / cats stolen in theft / robbery offences (2021 - 2023 Jan-Jun).
|
Month / Year |
Number of Cats Stolen |
|
2021 |
21 |
|
Jan |
2 |
|
Feb |
2 |
|
Mar |
1 |
|
Apr |
1 |
|
May |
1 |
|
Jun |
4 |
|
Jul |
3 |
|
Sep |
3 |
|
Oct |
3 |
|
Nov |
1 |
|
2022 |
29 |
|
Jan |
1 |
|
Feb |
1 |
|
Mar |
4 |
|
Apr |
2 |
|
May |
2 |
|
Jun |
2 |
|
Jul |
1 |
|
Aug |
5 |
|
Sep |
4 |
|
Oct |
1 |
|
Nov |
5 |
|
Dec |
1 |
|
2023 |
3 |
|
Feb |
2 |
|
Apr |
1 |
|
Grand Total |
53 |
‘Property description’ in this case ‘cat breeds’ are not properly recorded on our system.
The below table represents all the information we hold on the cat theft offences in 2021 - 2023 (Jan-Jun).
Other descriptive things such as: age, gender of the pet and the location the pet was stolen (i.e. walk, home, garden, outside shop, from car); are also not recorded / or recorded only sometimes as the fields set are not mandatory.
|
2021 |
2022 |
2023 |
|||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Description |
Jan |
Feb |
Mar |
Apr |
May |
Jun |
Jul |
Sep |
Oct |
Nov |
Jan |
Feb |
Mar |
Apr |
May |
Jun |
Jul |
Aug |
Sep |
Oct |
Nov |
Dec |
Feb |
Apr |
Grand Total |
|
GINGER + WHITE MALE 2 YRS OLD |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
1 |
|
MALE |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1 |
|
TABBY |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1 |
|
|
2 |
|
Not Recorded |
2 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
4 |
3 |
2 |
3 |
1 |
|
1 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
1 |
4 |
4 |
1 |
5 |
|
2 |
1 |
46 |
|
Grand Total |
2 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
4 |
3 |
3 |
3 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
1 |
5 |
4 |
1 |
5 |
1 |
2 |
1 |
50 |
|
|
20 |
27 |
3 |
||||||||||||||||||||||
The below data represents outcomes for theft offence crimes and robbery offence crimes where the ‘property code’ is ‘pet animal – cat’ and the ‘property status’ is ‘stolen’ and/or ‘stolen/recovered’ (2021 - 2023 Jan-Jun).
|
Outcome Type |
Grand Total |
|
Type 1 - Charged/Summonsed/Postal Requisition |
1 |
|
Type 14 - Evidential Difficulties Victim Based- Suspect Not Identified: Crime Confirmed But The Victim Either Declines Or Unable To Support Further Police Investigation To Identify The Offender |
7 |
|
Type 15 - Named Suspect Identified: Victim Supports Police Action But Evidential Difficulties Prevent Further Action |
4 |
|
Type 16 - Named Suspect Identified: Evidential Difficulties Prevent Further Action: Victim Does Not Support (Or Has Withdrawn Support From) Police Action |
5 |
|
Type 18 - Investigation Complete; No Suspect Identified. Crime Investigated As Far As Reasonably Possible-Case Closed Pending Further Investigative Opportunities Becoming Available |
31 |
|
Type 20 - Further action resulting from the crime report will be undertaken by another body or agency subject to the victim (or person acting on their behalf) being made aware of the act to be taken |
1 |
|
Under Investigation |
1 |
|
Grand Total |
50 |
Every effort is made to ensure that the data provided by Essex Police is accurate and complete. However, Essex Police systems are designed primarily for the management of individual cases and not for the purposes of providing data to answer specific FOI enquiries. Please note although data can be extracted from a number of sources via database queries, the results may be subject to inaccuracies. Care should be taken to understand our return when considering the interpretation or further use of the data.