Three in four stolen pets are taken from home, new report finds

A Censuswide survey of 2,000 UK adults found that half of pet owners think a public place is the most likely spot for a theft, and only one in five think it would happen at home. Where a location was recorded, around three in four dogs and cats stolen or abducted in 2025 were taken from the owner’s home, according to the Pet Theft and Abduction Report 2026, published on 20 October by Pet Database.

Dr Daniel Allen, Senior Lecturer at Keele University and author of the report, said: “Offending was heavily concentrated in residential settings for both species, with this pattern particularly pronounced for cats in 2025. For cats, proving criminal intent remains especially difficult because they frequently roam freely and may disappear for reasons unrelated to theft or abduction.”

Theft is rising, and charges are rare

The report is based on police data from forces across the UK. It counted 1,193 dogs and 507 cats stolen or abducted in 2025, and both figures were up on the year before.

Few cases ended in court action. Among forces that supplied outcome data, fewer than 2% of dog and cat cases ended in a charge or summons, even though a suspect was named in almost half of them.

Many owners are not ready

A third of pet owners would not know what to do if their pet were stolen, and many have never seriously considered it happening. Fewer than a third are confident the justice system would resolve a case.

What you can do

Start at home, because that is where most thefts happen. Check gates, locks and garden boundaries, and avoid leaving dogs outside on their own.

Then check your pet’s microchip contact details. One in five owners do not know it is their responsibility to keep them correct, yet most are confident they could rely on their microchip provider if their pet were stolen. Whoever scans a missing pet can only reach you if the record is right. Pet Database accepts any chip brand, and you can check your details here. If you work or volunteer in a rescue, you can register or re-register any animal with Pet Database for free, whatever the chip manufacturer.

If a pet is stolen:

• Report it to the police and ask for a crime reference number.
• Follow Pet Database’s step-by-step stolen pet guide.

[DOWNLOAD THE FREE STOLEN PET GUIDE]

About the research

The full report is available at petdatabase.com/pet-theft-abduction-report. Pet Database and Dr Daniel Allen note that the police figures are likely to under-represent the true scale of pet theft. Not every police force supplied usable data, and fewer still supplied details such as location and outcome. Pet Database is a Defra-compliant, government-approved pet microchip registry in the UK.

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