Paul O'Grady backs search for dog after masked robber snatches pensioner's pug
Report from ITV News Meridian's Abigail Bracken
TV presenter and animal lover Paul O'Grady is backing the search for a dog who was snatched by a masked robber while being walked by its owner in Kent.
Ann Cowlard, who's in her 70s, was walking her beloved pug Dora in the seaside town of Lydd when she was snatched in broad daylight.
Ann said: "He came through the alley and he said 'lovely little dog, lovely little dog' before he unclipped the lead, scooped her up and ran off with her."
Ann says that Dora, who is now 11, is of "no use" to anyone, as she has been spayed, she has "hardly any teeth", but she is a "treasure" to Ann.
Before the dog was stolen, Ann took Dora on her daily walk to a green called the Rype - a routine which could have been noticed by thieves.
The number of reported dog thefts has increased by a third in the South East since 2018, according to figures from DogLost.
In response, a national survey has just been launched by the Association of Police and Crime Commissioners.
Katy Bourne, the Police and Crime Commissioner for Sussex, said: "Whether the actual theft of pets is as widespread and as prevalent as we think it is, we don't know, which is part of the reason why we've got this survey running.
"Police forces record theft in different ways as well so it's quite difficult to get a good grip on the evidence base."
Kent resident Paul O'Grady is now helping the search for missing Dora through social media.
He said: "If the person that stole that lady's pug in Lydd is watching then for once in your life do something decent and return the dog because that dog is 13 years old and has been spayed and is useless to you but means the world to that old lady."