In an emotional reunion, Chloe Marie welcomed back her three-month-old husky German Shepherd cross, Coco, who had been kidnapped from her Norfolk home just before Christmas. Coco was taken during a brief distraction when Marie answered the door. Following a police tip-off, Coco was found at a home in Suffolk where she had been unknowingly purchased. Video footage captured Coco’s joyful response upon returning home, expressing overwhelming happiness at Coco’s return. Marie warned others about the risks of buying pets online. In 2023, dog thefts rose significantly in the UK, leading to new laws targeting pet kidnappers.
This is the emotional moment a puppy was reunited with his relieved owner three weeks after being kidnapped from his home.
Coco, a three-month-old husky German Shepherd cross, was snatched from a front door in Norfolk just days before Christmas when her owner was momentarily distracted.
A tip led police to an address in neighboring Suffolk over the weekend, where a family who had unknowingly bought the pet from someone online had agreed to hand over Coco.
Video footage from the moment he arrived home shows him jumping up to his owner Chloe Marie’s partner, wagging his tail excitedly, and then climbing onto the sofa and showering them with affection.
Marie expressed her joy at Coco’s return: “Honestly, I wasn’t expecting to see her again, so I’m really overwhelmed.” We’re all so happy to have her back. ”
The abduction occurred in mid-December at Mathis Hall, near Dereham, when Marie answered the door to a woman who suggested her dog take puppy training lessons with her.
Marie was in a hurry to catch the bus when she went out, went inside the house to get a bottle of water, and when she came back, she realized the puppy was gone.
Norfolk Police were alerted to the incident and a woman in her 50s was arrested on suspicion of dog kidnapping, a new law that only came into force last year. She was released on police bail until January 29.
Video footage from the moment Koko returned home shows her jumping on her owner Chloe Marie’s partner, wagging her tail excitedly and climbing onto the couch to shower them with love.
Coco, a three-month-old husky German Shepherd cross, was snatched from a front door in Norfolk just days before Christmas when her owner was momentarily distracted.
Acting on a tip-off, officers went to her parents’ home in Southwold on January 11, and Coco was handed over.
Marie warned people thinking of buying a dog online to thoroughly research their purchase before handing over money and adopting the pet.
“If someone offers to give you a ride to drop off your dog, that’s an immediate red flag,” she says.
A total of 2,290 dogs were stolen across the UK in 2023, an increase of 6% on the previous year. The breeds most at risk were English and French bulldogs, which can fetch up to £3,000, and XL bulldogs.
Exactly 6 (16%) were found and returned to their owners.
London had the most thefts with 359, followed by Kent with 138 and West Yorkshire with 125.
The Pet Kidnapping Act came into force on August 24 last year, making pet theft a specific crime for the first time, taking into account the pain, stress and fear it causes pets and their owners.
Under the new law, violators face up to five years in prison.
Acting on a tip-off, officers went to her parents’ home in Southwold on January 11, and Coco was handed over.
Marie (right) was about to go out, was in a hurry to catch the bus, and briefly went inside to get a bottle of water, but when she came back, she realized the puppy was gone.
Previously, crimes were dealt with under the Theft Act 1968 and dogs and cats were treated as property.
Last year, it was found that eight dogs a day were attacked by scammers, with dachshunds, French bulldogs and Chihuahuas being the most at risk.
Luckily, Twiglet the dachshund was returned to her billionaire owners, Joe and Jamie Vindis, but countless other dachshunds have had less-than-happy endings. There are so many.
According to statistics from 2023, 2,760 dogs are stolen every year, and the number of dogs being stolen is only increasing.
According to these statistics, that number equates to eight pets stolen every day.
