A woman has been given a conditional discharge for six months and fined £111 for stealing a miniature Dachshund from a home on Swan Road.

Maggie went missing from Laurie and Paul Smith’s home on Swan Road in August.  A neighbour’s CCTV had captured images of a woman the Smiths believed snatched her from the front garden.

The couple began a frantic hunt for their missing pet and posted the CCTV images on social media.

A huge response led the couple to a house on Oakdale Avenue, half a mile from their home, where they believed Maggie was.

The Smiths called the police who recovered their dog which had been taken by 62-year-old Jonkal Messenger. An emotional reunion followed between Maggie and her owners.

Guilty plea

This morning, Messenger, who lives at Oakdale Rise in Harrogate, pleaded guilty to theft at Harrogate Magistrates Court.

She received a conditional discharge of 6 months and was ordered to pay court costs of £85 plus a victim’s surcharge of £26.

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Mr Smith told the Stray Ferret afterwards that he was pleased Ms Messenger has been held accountable.

He said:

“At first police said they wouldn’t prosecute. She always said she would return the dog but it didn’t hold up. Stealing a family dog is a heinous offence.”

A month on from the ordeal, Mr Smith said he was glad the police took it seriously. He added:

“It was an awful 48 hours after what she put us through.”

The owners of Maggie, the miniature dachshund who was taken from her home in Harrogate, said she’s well and fully recovered from her ordeal.

Maggie went missing from Laurie and Paul Smith’s home on Swan Road on Monday morning.  A neighbour’s CCTV had captured images of a woman the Smiths believed snatched her from the front garden.

The couple began a frantic hunt for their missing pet and posted the CCTV images on social media. A huge response led the couple to a house on Oakdale Avenue, half a mile from their home, where they believed Maggie was. The Smiths called the police who recovered their dog.

Paul told the Stray Ferret that Maggie is now safe but shaken by her ordeal:

“We are elated and enormously relieved. Number one we found her; number two she isn’t harmed. Last night Maggie was a bit disturbed – she wouldn’t sleep in her travel cage which is where she normally likes to sleep.

“This morning though she seems fine.”

The hunt for Maggie went viral with thousands of engagements on social media. Paul said he has had reservations about social media but on this occasion it was a fantastic tool:

“A lot of my opinions about social media have all been negative but this was one of ringing endorsement.

The community of Harrogate came together and even further afield across the UK. We’d like to thank everyone involved.”

The Smiths are now looking into how they can use GPS technology to keep Maggie safe and say their attitudes towards her have changed. They won’t let her trot about and give her as much freedom, they said.

Officers are speaking to a woman as they work to establish the full circumstances of the incident.

Anyone with information is asked to email Paul.Southgate@northyorkshire.police.uk, or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111 quoting reference number 12220135089

Maggie resting on her pink blanket at home last night

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UPDATE: since publishing this story we are happy to report that Maggie has been found and reunited with her very relieved owners Paul and Laurie Smith

Harrogate couple Paul and Laurie Smith have told the Stray Ferret how their miniature Dachshund was taken from their front garden yesterday morning.

Maggie, who is only 17 weeks old, was with Paul in the back garden of the home on Swan Road when she was coaxed down the drive at the side of the house to the front garden by a woman who then picked her up and stole her.

The couple say the incident was caught on a neighbour’s CCTV but the images are grainy and they are now trying to get them enhanced.

Paul said:

“We watched the woman come to the house, she comes to the drive and encourages the dog towards her.

“As soon as Maggie gets within arms length she picks her up, puts her under her right arm and sets off rapidly towards Valley Gardens.

“The was no hesitation, it is a very deliberate act.”

The couple are now frantic to find Maggie and have reported her theft to the police.  They’ve put up posters in the area and published the images of the woman on social media. Maggie is chipped, which has been alerted.

Laurie Smith said:

“It made me sick when we saw the CCTV, it’s absolutely desperate.  We don’t know where to look. She’s so friendly and socialised. She must be so frightened.”

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The number of dog thefts in the Harrogate district more than doubled in 2020 compared with 2019, according to police statistics.

The figures were released after a member of the public made a Freedom of Information request to North Yorkshire Police.

They show there were eight thefts in 2020 compared with three in 2019. The three previous years saw just seven thefts in total.

Although the numbers are small, the 2020 figure represents a significant increase.

The Harrogate district also had the highest number of thefts in North Yorkshire in 2020, with Scarborough and Ryedale the closest with five.

The figures also revealed only two thefts ended in a person being charged. Most reports didn’t lead to court action either because no suspect was identified or there were evidential difficulties.

A table showing the number of crimes where a dog has been recorded as stolen. Photograph: North Yorkshire Police

Border Collies and Pugs were the most commonly stolen breeds in North Yorkshire, with 10 and eight thefts recorded respectively between 2016 and 2021.

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The police recently appointed its first officers dedicated to dealing specifically with pet theft.

Amongst other duties, the officers will conduct reassurance visits, in which they accompany pet theft victims on walks to help them feel more confident when walking their dogs.

North Yorkshire Police has appointed its first officers dedicated to dealing specifically with pet theft.

The force issued a statement today saying it now had a pet theft lead and a “small team” of pet theft liaison officers.

It said they would “work to ensure every officer recognises the need to offer the best possible support to victims of this type of crime”.

The team’s duties will include conducting “reassurance visits”, in which officers accompany pet theft victims on walks to help them feel more confident when walking their dogs.

The news comes even though North Yorkshire Police said there had only been 16 reported cases of pet theft so far in 2021.

Today’s announcement also said the pet theft team would also ensure other officers recognised the need to support victims of this type of crime.

An online training programme has been launched to help achieve this and North Yorkshire Police also has a seat on a national working group led by Devon and Cornwall Police.

North Yorkshire Police has also published a leaflet on keeping pets safe.

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Sergeant Simon Whitby, head of North Yorkshire Police’s dog section, said:

“As dog owners ourselves we completely understand the theft of a family pet is extremely distressing and a crime which has huge long-lasting emotional impact.

“The leaflet contains information and advice such as microchipping, reporting the theft, use of appealing through social media and where to get support.

“We want the public to know just how dedicated we are to tackling pet theft and that we take it extremely seriously.”

North Yorkshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner Philip Allott will address growing concerns about dog theft in a public meeting on the Stray tomorrow.

The session will be held between 1pm and 2pm on the section of the Stray near Harrogate District Hospital.

Dog owners will be able to air their feelings and find out more about what is being planned to tackle the problem.

Mr Allott, who lives in Knaresborough, said tackling dog theft would be one of his top priorities during his campaign to become the new commissioner.

He highlighted a survey showing dog thefts increased by 250% last year due to gangs cashing in on the demand for puppies during lockdown.

Sought-after breeds, such as French bulldogs, can sell for more than £5,000 and a litter can fetch £35,000.

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North Yorkshire Police has urged dog owners not to take weapons on daily walks amid growing concern about the crime.

The police issued the advice today as part of a move to reassure people that dog theft remains rare.

It said in a statement there have been 11 reported dog thefts so far this year, compared with 10 from July to September last year

The statement added:

“We have heard reports of dog owners taking weapons on daily walks and we strongly advise against doing so.

“Carrying a weapon is illegal and could result in injury to yourself and/or others.

“Dog theft is an issue which can understandably be very worrying for our communities, however these type of incidents are rare.”

The statement added people should be wary of believing social media posts about dog thefts “as some issues may not be as they appear”.

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This column is written for the Stray Ferret by Kimberley Metcalfe. Kimberley has an MSc in Applied Animal Behaviour and Welfare. Her company Pooches Galore is based in Harrogate and specialises in dog training and resolving canine behavioural problems.

There has been so much in the media recently regarding the rise of dog thefts, and the fear of dog thefts has been a hot topic across all social media for a few months now.

Many dog owners have been taking extra precautions to keep their dogs safe. This rise may be in part due to the huge increase in the number of people taking on a dog during the lockdowns of the past year – The Kennel Club reported a 168% increase in people searching for puppies from the start of lockdown compared to 2019! This huge boom has led to dogs selling for more and more, so it is perhaps unsurprising that thefts have seen a double-digit increase compared to the year before.

When I asked my Instagram followers if they were concerned about this increase in dog thefts and what they were doing to keep themselves and their dog safe. I was almost overwhelmed by how worried people were about their dog being stolen and the steps people were taking to keep their dog safe.

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The police and the RSPCA suggest measures that people can take to keep their dogs safe. These include:

• Neutering your dog or telling people that your dog is neutered.
• Ensuring their microchip details are up to date.
• Not putting their name on the collar, but making sure your phone number and address is on the collar.
• Not leaving them alone outside shops or in the garden.
• Being wary of people who take too much interest in your dog.
• Varying your walking route and patterns.
• If you post about your dog on social media, not uploading your location while you are there.

If your dog is stolen you need to immediately notify your microchip database and inform the police. Send your dog’s details to DogLost and Animal Search UK and post all over social media to raise awareness. If you think your dog is lost, retrace your steps, inform the local dog warden, and speak to people on your walks to see if anyone has seen your dog.

Please remember that although the numbers of dog thefts have been on the rise, such crimes are still rare and the chances of your dog being lost or stolen are slim.