Wiltshire Dog Watch
Please be aware of the following reports which I have received through the Neighbourhood Watch Scheme and be vigilant.
Please note that these reports and other information can now be found on the village web-site calstone.org
Hello,
This is a Wiltshire Dog Watch newsletter update alert sent from Wiltshire Police.
You can sign up to receive it directly from www.wiltsmessaging.co.uk/admin/user_login.asp) creating an account and choosing ‘Dog Watch’.
If you have already signed, you just need to update your preferences on the Interest section.
We welcome your feedback and the value of these monthly updates. If anyone has any comments, please email us on Generalwatch@wiltshire.police.uk
Please note replies to this message are not monitored 24/7
You can now report ONLINE – www.wiltshire.police.uk/article/603/Report
We encourage reporting “attempt dog thefts” or suspicious activity so we can take the appropriate action to carry out necessary patrols and collate intelligence
Please call 101 or 999 if you have a crime or incident that requires police
One month since Launch – Dog Watch has now been up and running for 4 weeks and we already have 815 Subscribers on Community Messaging which is very encouraging.
Crime reports – We have received just 3 attempt thefts/suspicious incidents in May: Minety on 4 May, Corsham on 7 May & Calne on 18 May but no actual dog thefts.
We are pleased to report a successful outcome from a crime reported in Oct 2019 where a dog has been reunited with his owner. **UPDATE ** Call from an OFA Vets Practice who had scanned a dog that had come in for treatment and it had come back as Stolen. Joint force enquiries resulted in the dog being recovered and the suspect being interviewed.
South West Regional Meetings – Our tactical lead for Dog Theft is Insp Gill Hughes who attends these regular meetings to share information and methods and Wiltshire is currently only 1 of about 19 forces that are actively engaging with the community regarding Dog theft and involved in the National picture.
Animal Scanners – Funding has been sought and has enabled each CPT area to be allocated 2 scanners each to assist in identifying owners that are chipped and updated Make sure your dog’s Microchip ID contact details are up to date.
NHW have launched a national pooch campaign: www.ourwatch.org.uk/protectyourpooch.
Dog Grooming – if your dog needs a stripping/clipping then please have before and after photos. So many mix breeds that are recovered aren’t recognised due to the condition found in.
Before After
Cumbria Police are currently investigating a series of Blackmail offences in relation to theft or loss of dogs. Dog owners who have lost their dog, or had it stolen are advertising on lost dog websites such as ‘lost dogs’, or social media with details of their pet, often a photograph and their contact details.
The MO for the blackmail offence is that a male with an Irish accent contacts the dog owners and says he is a traveller that specialises in the theft of dogs, and the dog and will be returned in exchange for £1000. He threatens that if they fail to pay the money, the dogs throat will be cut. On several occasions the dog owners have paid between £250 – £1500 to the offenders who then stop all contact.
RSPB A5 dogs on leads leaflet final.pdf
RAPESEED WARNING
We are coming up to the season where farmers fields will turn golden yellow with Rapeseed, feeling summery ? and a beautiful backdrop to scenic photographs.
However pretty the fields look, please do try to avoid walking through them with your dogs, & certainly avoid having your dog pose for photos in fields of rapeseed.
Rapeseed is listed by Dogs Trust as toxic to our dogs if ingested and can cause symptoms such as:
⛑ Haemolytic Anaemia
⛑ Blindness
⛑ Damaged Nervous System
⛑ Digestive Disorders
⛑ Breathing Problems
⚠️ Please be warned that some dogs can also suffer after effects from just running through Rapeseed.
Reports have shown dogs can be super sensitive to this plant, suffering skin lesions and burn-like sores effecting their eyes and paws. (Photo in story)
Some have even experienced breathing difficulties from the pollen.
‼️If you think your dog is showing symptoms of rapeseed poisoning, please seek immediate veterinary attention. #rapeseed #dogfirstaidmanchester
#dogfirstaid #dogtips #doghealth #dogfacts #dogfirstaidsquad #dogsquad #dogcaretips
Wiltshire Police would like to reassure our local communities that cases of dog theft remain low in this area, however tackling it is a priority and Community Safety as we are very much aware of the emotional impact of a dog being stolen.
By raising awareness, we want to both prevent dog thefts and to increase the quality of community intelligence reported to us, so we can take action to catch offenders. Officers will take your concerns seriously and all information received will feed into vital community intelligence to disrupt any criminal activity.
Some helpful advice on keeping your dog safe can be found on these websites:
Dog theft | Crimestoppers (crimestoppers-uk.org)
The Blue Cross www.bluecross.org.uk/pet-advice/protect-your-dog-against-theft
Dogs Trust www.dogstrust.org.uk/news-events/issues-campaigns/dog-theft/