Dog theft prevention group launches in Eastbourne

DogHorn is a public awareness group that provides a ‘response strategy’ for the prevention and recovery of stolen dogs.

The campaign was originally started in Northumberland but has since spread across the country.

The Yellow Lanyard Campaign, as part of DogHorn, provides owners with tools which may help them in a possible dog theft scenario.

A person’s lanyard can be made at home or purchased online and consists of a loud whistle on the end of a bright-coloured piece of material.

The idea is that if there is a dog theft happening, owners or witnesses can alert the public through the use of the whistle in an attempt to deter thieves.

Sammie Kelt helped set up the Eastbourne-branch of the organisation two weeks ago as it is a cause she feels very passionately about.

Ms Kelt said, “I have four dogs myself and I am quite often walking them on my own and four dogs to handle, plus being vigilant and all of that sort of stuff, it can be a bit overwhelming.

“So I looked into it and I thought, you know what? I haven’t got anything to do. I no longer work. That would be an awesome scheme to set up in Eastbourne.”

Along with providing tools and methods for preventing dog thefts, DogHorn also raises awareness about the issue which is on the increase.

Sussex Police recorded 31 dog thefts in 2020, although at least 12 of those were disputes over dog ownership between known parties.

Ms Kelt said, “It is something that we see quite regular on a lot of the dog sites that I am on and I know that it particularly started to hit home when we were seeing them coming near us like in Peacehaven.

“There’s a couple of possible attempted thefts in Pevensey. That hit the Pevensey community pages and I thought, this has got to be set up quite quickly now and we have to get people on board because if it is coming down to the East Sussex-area, where there are a lot of elderly people as well walking dogs, then we need to tackle it.

“The idea is that we build up a community who are aware of tactics of avoiding theft like an anti-theft handbook. The main object of these yellow lanyards is that they are highly visible so if you are seeing another dog walker with a yellow lanyard you can nod and greet. It’s a, ‘I’m here if you need me’ kind of thing.

“It’s a first means of defence really. It’s a community based thing. It is like a neighbourhood watch. If you have got a lot of people out there who are keeping an eye on everyone it is a lot harder for thieves to infiltrate these vulnerable areas and what the lanyard does is it signifies that you belong to this group but the deterrent is the whistle.”

If you would like to find out more about DogHorn visit, https://doghorn.uk/

As always police should be the first port of call in an emergency and DogHorn encourages the public to call 999 and to step back from a situation if confronted with violence.

If you believe your dog has been stolen or you have concerns about suspicious behaviour, report it to Sussex Police online or by calling 101.