Thornholme dog thefts: Missing spaniel found 250 miles away

Keedy, a two-year-old spaniel, was handed in at a vets in Canterbury after a police appeal

The third of three spaniels stolen from East Yorkshire in February has been found more than 250 miles away in Kent.

Two of the dogs stolen from a farm at Thornholme, near Burton Agnes, were found shortly afterwards in Lancashire and reunited with their owners.

The third - named Keedy - was handed into a vet in Canterbury following a new appeal by Humberside Police earlier this week.

Owner Keith Fetches said: "It's brilliant to have him back."

He added: "I've been under the weather ever since he went [and] when they rang yesterday and said they'd found him I was just overjoyed."

Keedy has been reunited with the other two dogs stolen in the raid, Jazz and Robbie

Keedy, who was missing for over three months, has now been reunited with the other two dogs, Jazz, nine, and Robbie, 14.

Some have claimed the demand for dogs during lockdown has led to a significant increase in pets being stolen.

One charity, DogLost, saw reported thefts rise from 172 dogs in 2019 to 465 in 2020, as demand pushed up prices.

At the time of the thefts, Mr Fetches said he believed someone had targeted the dogs - which he described as "his family" - after seeing them out and about.

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Humberside Police said the number of dog thefts reported in the region remained low, but urged owners to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activity.

The force also thanked "everyone who shared our appeals" which helped reunite the dogs with the family.

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