Wigan dogs kidnapped and held to ransom under threat of death

Anonymous callers have threatened to “slit the throats” of the animals if Katie Shakeshaft doesn’t pay up £1,000.

Female Jack Russell-Yorkshire terrier mix breeds Scrappy and Mopsy were snatched from Katie’s Garswood farm off Gibbons Road while she was out shopping at lunchtime with her mum on Wednesday April 13.

When Katie returned just a few hours later, the lock on the horse-box where they were being kept, had been smashed open and the two female dogs, aged three and five, were missing.

Police are now investigating.

Ms Shakeshaft said: "I was on the farm with them in the morning letting them have a run around while I was sorting all my jobs out, because we have horses and chickens to tend to, then I had arranged to go shopping with my mum.

“I always put them in the big horse-box, they’ve got a big bed in there with and food and water, it’s where they usually go to chill out.

"We left the yard around half 12 and my boyfriend went to work.

“We came back just after three, that’s when I realised the dogs had been taken.

“I got straight onto the police.

“Then the threatening phone calls started.

“They were telling me things like: I’m not having my dogs back, demanding a thousand pounds and telling me that they’re going to harm them.”

Ms Shakeshaft was burgled again the next day. While out looking for the dogs, someone broke in to steal some of her boyfriend’s tools.

"I feel like I’m being watched and targeted now,” she said.

“They know when I’m not here, they know exactly what’s on this yard now and I feel I cannot leave it.

“I’ve not been able to sleep.

“I’ve handed it all over to the police, they said that someone would come to see me on Monday but nobody turned up.

“People are really good round here, they take a picture of dogs to advertise them as missing in hope to track down the owners.

“The phone calls are every day, it’s causing me a lot of distress.”

Anyone with details should ring police on 101 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555111.