Search to find owners of 48 lost dogs which were stolen or moved by network

Suffolk Constabulary seized the animals as part of a police operation in Ipswich last month.

More than 80 dogs of various breeds and ages were found at an address in the West Meadows area where police, assisted by partner agencies, executed warrants on Saturday, March 20.

Despite efforts to identify their features and liase with police forces across the country, the process has proved to be challenging. As yet, none of the animals have been reunited with their owners.

Now the force is reaching out to potential owners, who have not contacted the constabulary previously, to come forward.

Detective Chief Inspector Nicola Wallace, Senior Investigating Officer for the operation, said: "We are keen to hear from anyone who believes any of the dogs in the images may be theirs.

"During the last few weeks officers have been liaising with other police forces around the country, as well as conducting a number of other enquiries, in order to establish where the dogs may have originated from.”

Proof of ownership can include the following:

• Veterinary/vaccination records clearly identifying the dogs.
• Pictures of the dog with any distinctive markings/scars/distinguishing features. 
• Any details of microchipping – however, please note, all these dogs either do not have microchips or have chips which may not be correctly registered. 
• Other pictures of the dog(s) which prove ownership during the dog’s life. 
• Any purchase details, including details of where the dog was purchased from and/or receipts.
• Any records of reporting the dog(s) lost/stolen either to police or on other websites/charities. 

Some dogs are grouped into possible litter groups, but this is not necessarily the case. The public should also be aware that some of these dogs may have been lost, stolen or moved on over a period of time so they may not look exactly as they did when they were last seen. 

The photos will also be featured on the constabulary’s Facebook page and Twitter account. Please note, that enquiries will only be received via the dedicated email address. Comments with any personal details or enquiries should not be posted on these pages/accounts.

What do I need to do if I think my missing dog is pictured?

Anyone who believes they can provide proof of ownership should email the investigation team by Saturday, May 24, providing a full name, contact details and the image number which relates to the dog(s) in question.

Please note, the email account will not be constantly monitored and the team will be unable to respond to any other enquiries regarding these dogs. 

Only those people who have not got in touch with the constabulary previously should contact the investigation team via the email address opscout@suffolk.pnn.police.uk if they believe one or more of the dogs could be theirs. 

All enquiries must be made by May 24, 2021.

Officers are asking people to use the email address only and not to contact the constabulary’s Contact and Control Room on 999 or 101. 

Six people were arrested in connection with the operation in March.

A 38-year-old man, now aged 39, two 34-year-old men and three women aged 46, 41 and 35 - who are all from Ipswich - were arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to steal following this operation.

They were all taken to Martlesham Police Investigation Centre for questioning and were initially released on bail until Friday 16 April, pending further enquiries.

Four of the six people – the 34-year-old man, the now aged 39-year-old man, the 41-year-old woman and the 46-year-old woman - have since had their bail date extended to Thursday 17 June.

The other two people – the 34-year-old man and the 35-year-old woman - have been released and will face no further action at this time.