The fence was too high for her to jump and on the other side they found footsteps leading away in the morning frost.

"We were thinking, 'How can people do this?'" said Sarah, "because a dog is part of your family."

"It was horrible because you are always looking out the window, and everywhere you walk you are looking to see if you can find them.

The couple called the police and the local dog warden, and knocked round houses searching for their pet.

"You never relax," she said.

Two days later, Scoot was found wandering the High Street near their home in Billingshurst, but the dog was never the same after its ordeal.

"The experience really frightened her. When we got her back she was quite poorly and she wouldn't eat anything," said Sarah.

"She doesn't like being far from anyone and she became nervous and unpredictable around the kids."

This unpredictability meant the family were forced to give the dog to Sarah's mother, and they still believe they were victims of dog theft.

Under the Freedom of Information Act, the County Times applied to Sussex Police for data to determine how widespread animal theft is in Horsham District.

Whilst surprising, the information we received was broadly reassuring.
From 2003 to 2007, 583 animals were stolen in 64 reported crimes in the district, however of these animals only 27 were dogs, and three were cats.

The figures also show a steady decline in thefts over recent years, from 23 incidents in 2004, to only seven in 2007.

The overwhelming majority of animals stolen were birds from farming or sporting operations and fish, with the largest single incident involving the theft of 200 chickens from the Shipley area, in December 2003.

In other incidents, 70 goldfish were stolen from Henfield in April 2004, and in June the same year 50 quail were stolen from Steyning.
Taking these distortions into account, thefts were distributed fairly evenly across the district.

The figures also showed that a wide range of animals taken, including 14 ferrets, two horses, 28 sheep, three guinea pigs, and a single gerbil.

However Neil Ewart, chairman of Dog Theft Action, a national organisation which provides assistance and information to victims of dog theft, said figures were rarely reliable, since confusion can arise over whether animals have been stolen or simply gone missing.

In the Muggeridges' case, police took the view that the dog could have run off, and although the family fiercely deny this the disappearance was not recorded as a crime.

Mr Ewart said: "If your dog or cat goes missing has it gone missing or been pinched?

"Our advice is that if you are fairly sure that your dog's been pinched then go to the police and insist they record it as a crime.

"The police are very supportive but if someone comes in and says their dogs gone missing there's often a bit of scepticism about whether it's stolen.

He said one of the most important measures to protect dogs was to microchip them, and also not to leave them tied outside shops, or in cars.

He added: "There is a multitude of reasons for stealing a dog. One is to take an animal for possible breeding in the future.

"The other- predominantly in cities- is to take a certain kind of dog for fighting- mainly Rottweilers and bull terriers.

"There is also a growing trend in taking dogs for blackmail."

June Bailey, who runs West Sussex-based Pet Detectives, said she had been contacted in the past by an individual in Horsham District who was the victim of this kind of blackmail and who had been told they would not see their dog again if they contacted the police.

However she said that dog theft was relatively rare in the district.

"We do not get as much animal theft as some parts of the country because Horsham is not near a main motorway, which makes it much easier to get away with an animal.

"It's really down to the owners to be sensible. If you keep your dog safe it won't be stolen."

Inspector Steve Keeler of Sussex Police said: "As with any other type of property, animals can be valuable and sought after by thieves with knowledge or a market.

"Owners are encouraged to secure pets and livestock as best they can and to have animals marked or branded if possible.

"People are requested to report any suspicious incidents or movements of animals at unusual times of day as promptly as possible and to make a note of registration numbers of any vehicles seen that may be connected."

Have you had a pet stolen? Contact wscountytimes.co.uk.

Visit www.dogtheftaction.com or www.pet-detectives.co.uk for more information on animal theft or for help with finding a lost or stolen pet.

Year Incidents
2003 9
2004 23
2005 15
2006 10
2007 7
Total Crimes 64

Year Total Stolen
2003 239
2004 187
2005 111
2006 18
2007 29
Grand Total 584

Type Number Stolen
Birds 416
Fish 83
Sheep 28
Dog 27
Ferret 14
Pony 4
Guinea pigs 3
Cat 3
Horse 2
Rabbit 2
Calf 1
Gerbil 1
Total 584

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