Couple devastated as thieves steal six dogs from kennels near Cleobury Mortimer

Will and Sue Clulee, who train and breed working dogs for a living, say they are devastated about the theft and are worried about the safety of the animals.

The couple who run Poolgreen Gundogs, in Farlow, said they believe they were deliberately targeted in a planned raid by dog thieves, with the pups possibly being taken to sell on as pets for Christmas presents.

Sue said she discovered the theft last Thursday afternoon, and the couple have since put out a plea for the safe return of the dogs or any information.

Mrs Clulee said: "I had been away for a couple of hours doing some Christmas drop-offs of presents. I came home to find one of our dogs outside, sitting on the drive way, so I knew something was wrong. All the kennel doors were open."

The dogs taken included a two-and-a-half-year-old golden cocker bitch, a five-month-old liver and white English springer spaniel bitch, a four-month-old black cocker dog, a 13-week-old liver and white English springer spaniel bitch, and two 12-week-old liver cocker pups from the same litter, one male, one female.

Mrs Clulee said they believed the theft was a professional job and that they must have been staked out first, as the thieves apparently knew where they should go." and nothing was damaged.

"They knew what they were doing," she said, "They avoided all of our CCTV cameras and all of the locked gates and instead came through the back entrance.

"It's Christmas time so maybe we were an easy target for them to get hold of pups."

She said there were lots of dogs on the site, but only the six were taken – though that was harrowing enough.

"We are absolutely devastated," she said.

"This is our livelihood – it's a small family business, it's just us.

"That and the fact that someone has been here on our property is not a nice feeling."

She said it wasn't the first time they had been targeted as four years ago they had nine dogs taken during the summer months.

At that time they even went on national television, appearing on the BBC's Countryfile show to publicise the danger of dog theft, so it was galling to have been hit again, regardless of the measures they had taken.

"I just hope we get a safe return of the puppies and that they're OK," she added.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Poolgreen Gundogs on 01746 718137 or West Mercia Police on 101. Alternatively, contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111 or at crimestoppers-uk.org