14 Jun 2021
Study shows one in five dogs stolen during the past five years have been Staffordshire bull terriers.
Joshua Silverwood
Job Title
Staffordshire bull terriers are at the highest risk of being stolen according to new research that looked at the top breeds of dog thieves target.
Insurance aggregator Money.com has put together a list of the top breeds and where they were targeted across the past five years.
The study found that the number one most stolen breed was the Staffordshire bull terrier, followed closely by the Chihuahua and the French bulldog.
The number one breed made up just under a fifth of all dog thefts during the past five years, with 367 incidents over the half-decade.
The study also found that theft of German shepherd dogs was also on the rise, with 13 thefts in 2016, rising to 35 thefts in 2020.
The Jack Russell terrier came fourth, with 107 thefts during the past five years, with the flat-faced pug coming in fifth.
In a message aimed at pet owners, a spokesman for Money.com said: “If you haven’t already, it’s vital that you ensure that your dog is microchipped, not least because it is now required by law.
“This ensures that your dog can easily be identified and returned to you if they get lost, and it’s also a good idea for them to wear a collar and ID tag with your name and address on it, too.”
