Englishmen love their dogs

Maybe that's why dog thefts have increased dramatically in England; they've increased 250 percent in the past year. “It’s the worst I’ve ever seen, and I’ve been in the field for 35 years,” said Wayne May, police liaison with Dog Lost, Britain’s largest lost-and-found dog service.

And, prices have increased substantially. A dog that would normally cost $500 is now $2,500 or more. Even rescue shelters are out of mutts. An Internet search for available dogs for adoption in the London area showed only a few dogs here and there. Brits looking for companions have started rescuing dogs from abroad. Most are stolen from cars, yards, outside stores and kennels.

Dog lovers are urging Parliament to act. They have submitted two petitions, with hundreds of thousands of signatures, to the government. The petitions want to make dog theft a serious offense, punishable by eight years in prison and $7,500 in fines.