Police seize 83 dogs from traveller site - could any be from Wigan?

The dogs were seized during an operation at West Meadows traveller site in Ipswich, Suffolk, on Saturday, March 20.

The raid was organised as part of an investigation into a series of dog thefts.

Three men and three women, who are all from Ipswich, were arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to steal.

Officers are now working to identify the owners of the dogs, through the use of microchip scanning initially.

Suffolk Constabulary said: “This work is ongoing and will involve liaison with other police forces, as many of the dogs are suspected to have been stolen from outside of Suffolk.

“Detectives would like to reassure all those people who have contacted Suffolk Police today to enquire as to whether their dog has been recovered, that everyone’s call or email will be acknowledged if it has not been already.

“Officers are aware that many people will be anxious to know if their dog has been recovered and politely ask for victims to bear with them as they expedite these enquiries.”

Detective Chief Superintendent Eamonn Bridger, Head of Crime, said: “This was a highly successful and significant policing operation, which I hope demonstrates how seriously Suffolk Police is taking the issue of dog theft.

“We recognise that these crimes have a significant impact on the families affected and we will continue to disrupt criminals wherever we have information that we can act upon.

“This type of crime has become a particular problem across the entire country since the first lockdown began 12-months ago, due to the value and demand for certain breeds. Our officers have worked tirelessly to develop intelligence and identify those who are believed to be responsible.

“I know many victims of these crimes will be anxious to know whether or not we have recovered their pet. I would like to reassure them that we are working as quickly as possible to identify who all the dogs belong to and aim to reunite them with their owners as soon as we can.”

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