Louise Rayner & Ted- 2021 Pet Theft Campaign

Louise Rayner’s beloved dog, Ted, was stolen from her garden in New Malden, Surrey, in June 2021:“Ted was stolen from my back garden in June this year, my gate had been broken and he was gone.  “I've advertised all over social media, posting countless times a day. I've rang local vets, dog wardens, the police, and have even set up a Go Fund Me page to help with a reward to get him back, I’m desperate to get him home. “Ted is part of my family, I'm disabled and he is my little companion. The first two weeks after he was stolen, I cried day and night. I didn't sleep more than four hours a day, I couldn’t, and I still don’t sleep most nights because I’m so worried and it’s all I can think about. Has he been hurt? Has he been left to die somewhere? My brain can’t shut down, it just thinks of all the bad things that could be happening to him. I cry constantly, I suffer from depression and Ted being taken has taken it to an all time low. “Someone purposely broke my back gate and stole a part of my family with no thought of the devastation it has caused us. I honestly can’t describe the amount of heartbreak we have felt since.“I have heart problems that have since worsened because I'm not sleeping and am so stressed about Ted. My daughter’s little dog is missing him too, she has started to bark constantly. “The laws around pet theft must change - dogs are not an inanimate object, they're living breathing things that can show and feel love, feel pain, and they miss their owners. They are part of the family, and to some they're like their child. They can’t be replaced like an object. “Criminals who steal dogs should face a prison sentence and the laws must be strengthened. Dog theft is a big thing now – the police say it's easier money than selling drugs and with no risk of prison. If it isn’t stopped now, and the Government don’t take action, dog theft and the heartbreak it brings with it, will become an even bigger problem. “Someone has kidnapped a member of our family. All I want is Ted to be home.”