Detectives are urging the public to be on the lookout for a family of cocker spaniels following a burglary in Cottenham.

Thieves forced their way into a caravan in Setchell Drove between 1.30pm and 2.30pm on Wednesday (22 July) before stealing the litter of seven puppies, valued at up to £2,000 each, and their mother.

A wallet was also stolen.

Detective Sergeant Ashley Ryan, of the force’s southern burglary team, said: “The owners are utterly heartbroken and extremely concerned for the welfare of their dogs.

“I’m urging anyone who has been offered a similar looking dog, or knows someone who has, to get in touch.”

Anyone with information is asked to call police on 101 quoting reference 35/48592/20 alternatively report online www.cambs.police.uk/report.

Dog owners are advised to:

• Keep an ID tag on your dog at all times
• Lock gates using bolts at the top and bottom, along with a heavy-duty padlock.
• Ensure there are no places where dogs or other animals can escape or be pulled through, if they are left in a back garden.
• Never leave your pet in the garden unattended
• Fit a bell or gate alarm so it makes a sound when someone opens it
• Purchase a driveway alarm so you are alerted to any visitors, these can also be used in rear gardens
• Make sure your dog is microchipped and their details are updated so that they can be returned if they are stolen and subsequently found.
• Avoid leaving a dog tied up outside a shop or left alone in a car, even for a few minutes
• Take lots of photographs of your dog to prove ownership if it’s stolen and then found.
• Report dog theft to police straight away.

https://www.cambs.police.uk/news-and-appeals/cocker-spaniel-puppies-stolen-during-burglary