It's every pet owner's worst nightmare – the gut-wrenching realisation your beloved companion has vanished and could now be miles away.
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companion → wrench → ?
In a disturbing trend plaguing Britain's backyards, animals are being swiped by opportunistic thieves on the hunt for a quick profit – with peaceful suburbia as much of a target as big cities.
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suburbia → plague → cities
The latest incident, just last week, saw two crooks in Hull caught on camera filming themselves grabbing a family's rabbit by the ears before making off with the pet.
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themselves → see → pet
Experts have warned the desire for criminals to sell pets on for inflated prices or use them for illegal breeding are the main driving force behind thefts.
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criminals → warn → thefts
Even older breeds of dogs are grabbed to act as bait and train fighting dogs in preparation for illegal bouts.
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breeds → grab → bouts
Dr Daniel Allen, founder of Pet Theft Reform and animal geographer at Keele University, said: 'People don't abduct pets to love them.
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People → say → them
They use them, abuse them, and treat them like money-making objects.
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They → use → objects
'Most will be sold on to unsuspecting families or exchanged for ransom or reward.
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Most → sell → ransom
Others may experience the cruelties of illegal puppy farming or dog fighting.
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Others → experience → farming
The safe return of the rabbit, named Peter, to his East Yorkshire home on Sunday inspired thousands to express their relief on social media.
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return → name → media
Amy Ulliott pictured with her pet rabbit, Peter, who was snatched from her front garden by two men who said they would 'turn him into kebabs'
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they → picture → kebabs
The pair were caught filming themselves grabbing Peter from his family home – clutching him by his ears before making off with him.
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themselves → catch → him
The rabbit has since been found
The men appear to be laughing while walking around with the rabbit, who is still being held by his ears
Single mother Amy Ulliott, 38, and her teenage children were finally reunited after being alerted to a small brown rabbit answering to Peter's description had been found in a car park around a mile away.
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rabbit → find → park
Humberside Police are investigating the theft, with Ms Ulliott claiming the CCTV shows them speaking Russian and potentially 'planning to make a stew' out of her pet.
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them → investigate → pet
But not all owners are as lucky, with hundreds of dogs and cats stolen each year – including 237 in London alone in 2025.
'
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hundreds → steal → 2025
For the families who are searching, not knowing the whereabouts and welfare of abducted pets is a traumatic experience,' Dr Allen said.
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Allen → search → pets
He added that most dogs are taken from homes or gardens, so urged owners to ensure their 'properties are secure'.
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properties → add → owners
'The same goes for public spaces – do not leave dogs unattended and keep them close or secure on a lead when walking,' he added.
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he → go → lead
In May 2024, the Pet Abduction Act came into effect, making pet theft a criminal offence in England and Northern Ireland.
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theft → come → England
But this has not fully deterred animal thieves, many of whom are keen to make a quick buck by selling the pet on for others' entertainment – including for brutal dog fights.
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many → deter → fights
In 2023, the RSPCA recorded 560 organised dog fights, an increase from 418 in 2020.
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RSPCA → record → 2020
'Police now need the resources and commitment to investigate pet abduction thoroughly, catch the thieves and ensure prosecutions,' Dr Allen said.
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Allen → need → prosecutions
'Without strong enforcement, pet abduction remains a low-risk, high-reward crime – and families and animals continue to suffer.
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families → remain → enforcement
The main advice from the RSCPA is to ensure your pets are neutered, microchipped with up-to-date contact details registered and wearing a collar with contact details embroidered or an engraved ID tag.
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pets → ensure → details
Peter the rabbit was swiped from his front garden pen by two laughing and joking thieves who could be heard saying 'we'll make shashlik [kebab] out of it', as they walked off.
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they → swipe → it
The pair snatched Peter on Saturday afternoon from his garden home in Hull while his owners were out.
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owners → snatch → Hull
Ms Ulliott, 38, and her teenage children were shocked to find their pet was missing when they got home
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they → find → ?
, she said.
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she → say → ?
And they were even more disturbed when they viewed CCTV which showed Peter being callously handled by the ears before being carried away.
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Peter → disturb → ears
Ms Ulliott, a carer, told the Daily Mail: 'No one with an ounce of humanity would do a thing like that to a defenceless rabbit, when I saw what they had done I felt physically sick and had very little hope that I would ever see Peter alive again.'
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I → tell → Peter
The family immediately called Humberside Police to report the theft and Ms Ulliott and her family took to the streets to search for him themselves, also posting the shocking video on social media.
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Ulliott → call → media
The person who eventually found him had taken him in and given him food and water while trying to find his owners – and then, seeing missing posts, got in touch with the good news.
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who → find → news
She said: 'Both of them were speaking in what sounded like Russian.
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what → say → Russian
And we've been told that one of the men may be called Oleg.'
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one → tell → men
Ms Ulliott said when she uploaded the footage, she was contacted by a Russian speaker who said he had been able to translate what the men were saying to each other.
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men → say → other
She added: 'He told us that one man said to the other, "We'll make shashlik out of it".
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We → add → it
'It seems they were saying it was their intention to have him on a skewer like a kebab, which is just a horrifying thought.'
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which → seem → kebab
The Daily Mail showed the clip to a Russian translator who confirmed that the language being spoken was Russian, possibly with a Ukrainian accent.
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language → show → accent
They said the man who grabbed Peter, turned to his friend and said: 'Take a picture of me.'
He then sings a tune and says 'whoa' when the rabbit kicks out at him.
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rabbit → say → him
Earlier this year, a video emerged of an Amazon driver brazenly scooping up a family cat while he was delivering a package after he 'took a shine' to the animal.
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he → emerge → animal
…and 14 more, not listed.
The Aporia
