Dog owners reminded of 8-week law as pet thefts increase across UK

Dog owners reminded of 8-week law as pet thefts increase across UK Freedom of Information data gathered from police forces across the country identified the five breeds most commonly stolen Dog owners in the UK may want to act now before it's too late. The reminder comes as owners of five popular dog breeds are warned to remain alert amid rising pet thefts across the UK. Criminals are snatching family pets directly from their own homes and gardens. We recently reported that fresh statistics show dog thefts climbed by 5% in 2025 to nearly 1,200 incidents. This was despite new legislation being introduced to treat companion animals as more than just property. If owners do not have their dog microchipped yet, they may want to have this done as soon as possible. Gov.uk states that "all dogs in the UK must be microchipped and registered by the time they’re 8 weeks old." Failure to do so will result in a fine. Officials add: "You can be fined up to £500 if your dog or cat is not microchipped when they need to be." Owners may not know you need to register with an approved database Your pet’s microchip contains a number that will appear whenever your dog or cat is scanned. This means if they are stolen or go missing, they should be reunited with their owner if found. But that's not the only fine some owners could receive. Government officials further state: "You can be fined up to £500 if your dog or cat is not registered" on a specific database. You must make sure that your dog or cat is registered on one of the following databases (they all meet government standards): - AnimalData - Animal Microchips - Animal Tracker - ChipHERO - Chipped Monkey - Chipworks - Crumb - DKC - FidoID - Greyhound Chip ID (racing greyhounds only) - HomeAgain - Identi - Lost Paws - MicroChip Central - My Animal Trace - MyPet - National Veterinary Data Service - Pet Database - Pet Identity UK - Petlog - PetScanner - ProtectedPet - SmartTrace - UK PETtrac MicroChip Database - We Trace Pets Gov.uk notes: "You’ll be asked for your address and contact details when you register your pet on one of these databases. Track Your Paws does not meet government standards and has been removed from the list of databases. If your pet’s details are registered with Track Your Paws, you should register with another database from the list." Which five dog breeds are more at risk of theft? According to The Pet Database Pet Theft and Abduction Report 2026, compiled by Dr Daniel Allen of Keele University, certain pedigree and family-favourite dogs continue to be prime targets for thieves. Freedom of Information data gathered from police forces across the country identified the five breeds most commonly stolen: - Staffordshire Bull Terrier - French Bulldog - Dachshund - German Shepherd - Cocker Spaniel Indy Sangha, CEO of Pet Database, said: "Owners are doing everything they can to protect their pets on walks, while the data shows thieves are coming to the front door. "When a pet is taken, the microchip is often the clearest proof of who it belongs to, yet a fifth of owners don't know it's their job to keep those details up to date. We back Dr Allen's call for police to record microchip status in every pet theft case, so we can finally see how many stolen and abducted pets could have come home."