A man has issued a warning to pet owners after two men falsely claiming to work for the RSPCA tried to steal his dog.
Andrew Hubball, 52, from Heanor, Derbyshire, says he was approached by a man ‘investigating dog thefts in the area’ as he walked his dog Jess on Hands Road.
The man asked Andrew to place Jess in the back of a van, which had the RSPCA logo on it, so he could ‘verify ownership’ at around 2.40pm on February 12.
But the postman had a feeling something wasn’t right when he saw a driver wearing a blue uniform had remained in the vehicle with the engine running.
Following up on his suspicions, he asked for proof that the men worked for the animal welfare charity. He says the pair suddenly drove away after being questioned.
Andrew wants to warn others not to fall for the scheme, as experts caution pet theft could be on the rise.
He said: ‘Something just didn’t seem right – why was the engine running and why had the driver stayed in? A normal animal vehicle has air vents, but there weren’t any.’
Andrew added: ‘People need to be aware. If a kid had been walking the dog or an elderly person, they might’ve put them in the back of the van.’
It comes after a woman kicked a dognapper in the shin after he tried to snatch her dog’s lead from her hand.
The RSPCA said it was ‘extremely worrying’ to hear people have been posing as fake inspectors.
A statement read: ‘We want to ensure that the public, their animals and our own staff are safe, and that our officers can continue to carry out their vital work without being compromised by bogus officials.
‘We’ve been made aware of a number of incidents in different areas of the country in which people have been targeted in their own homes or while out walking their dogs.
‘In some cases, police have been made aware of the circumstances and we’ve also been informed.’
A spokesperson told Staffordshire Live the charity had heard anecdotally there has been a rise in the number of pet thefts over the past year ‘due to the value of many breeds and the demand for pets during lockdown’.
Genuine RSPCA officers will only approach people in public if they have witnessed an incident of animal cruelty or spot an animal in immediate danger.
They will wear branded clothing, which may include a white shirt and navy blue fleece or coat, and will always be carrying RSPCA identification.
Most officers drive white vans wrapped in branding or with small navy RSPCA logos on the side and rear of the vehicle – although these can be removed for operational or safety reasons.
Anyone who is concerned someone may have posed as an RSPCA worker is asked to report the incident to police.
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