Cabinet Member for Clean Streets, Recycling and Environment, Cllr Michael Michael, said: “Having a dog stolen is incredibly distressing, and with the price of a dog having gone through the roof over the last 12 months, we’re asking Cardiff’s dog owners to remain vigilant and follow a few simple guidelines to help keep their pets safe.”

Dog theft is a crime and should be reported to the police on 101, but there are steps that can be taken to help prevent it. Here are some top tips from Cardiff Dog’s Home:

1. Make sure your dog is microchipped and the details are up to date.

2. Make sure your dog’s tag has your name and phone number on it.

3. Keep up to date photos of your dog.

4. Vary the times and routes you take when walking.

5. Go to areas where there are other people walking.

6. Keep your dog on a lead, especially if their re-call is poor, or use a retractable lead.

7. Keep your dog in your field of view at all times.

8. Don’t leave your dog alone in a car, in the garden, outside kennels or tied up outside a shop.

9. Don’t give strangers information about your dog and be careful what you post on social media.

10. Make sure your garden boundaries are secure and lock your gates.

11. Be vigilant and report suspicious vehicles to the police on 101.

Cllr Michael continued: “We hear all sorts of stories, about websites claiming to be linked to the Dogs Home and asking people for hundreds of pounds up front to re-home a dog, residents being approached on the street by people claiming to be from the Home and telling them their dog matches the description of a lost or stolen dog – to be clear, the Dogs Home would never do any of these things and we would encourage residents to report incidents of this nature to the police, on 101, or to Trading Standards.”