Twenty-seven dogs were stolen in Cambridgeshire in the past year and experts fear this number will rise.

The Country Land and Business Association Ltd (CLA) has warned dog owners to keep their dogs within sight and in a secure location to cut the chances of being a victim of thieves.

CLA Eastern regional director Nicola Currie said: “The temptation on a hot day is to let your dog go unattended into your garden, or out on your land, to find some cool shade. It’s also easy to let it run free and go out of sight while you are on walks.

“Unfortunately, this offers thieves a golden opportunity to take your animal.

“Many dogs are targeted by thieves because they can make money selling them on, often for breeding or for fighting.

“By leaving a valuable and much-loved animal in your garden in sight of a road or a public right of way gives thieves a chance to monitor your movements and security arrangements with a view to possibly stealing it to order.”

The CLA recommends dogs are microchipped and wear a collar and ID tag with full contact details.

Thefts should be reported immediately to the police and a dog warden.

Victims of theft should also check local animal rescue centres and use a website such as DogLost.co.uk and social media to circulate details of the dog as widely as possible.

The statistics on dog theft have been taken from the Shooting Times, which compiled them following a freedom of information request: http://www.shootinguk.co.uk/news/dog-theft-facts-37076