‘I could work every day of the week’: the life of a UK pet detective as thefts rise

Colin Butcher and his dog Molly are increasingly in demand as bereft owners hunt for missing cats and dogs

On a chilly December morning, Colin Butcher and his dog, Molly, are on the streets of Haywards Heath in West Sussex. But Molly is not out for a walk - instead she is hard at work trying to track down a missing cat.

Pet theft is on the rise across the UK. Data from the insurer Direct Line suggested dog thefts had increased by 6% between 2022 and 2023, with English and French bulldogs - regularly sold for about 3,000 - among the most frequently targeted breeds.