OWNERS of working dogs have been warned that reported thefts are on the increase.

The Country Land and Business Association (CLA) has told members in West Yorkshire to be particularly vigilant after 123 were stolen in 2013 – putting it in the country’s top three hotspots for dog thefts, behind Kent at 128 and London at 165.

Elsewhere last year, 49 dogs were reported stolen in Durham, 20 in North Yorkshire, 19 in Cleveland, 17 in Northumbria and nine in Cumbria.

The CLA has warned that the figure is expected to rise because the animals can often be sold quickly and are not easily traced.

Douglas Chalmers, CLA North director of policy and public affairs, said: “Dogs are targeted by thieves because they can easily make money selling them on, often for breeding or, most distressingly, for fighting.”

According to figures collated by advice service DogLost, numbers of gun dog thefts have been steadily rising since 2009.

In 2013, the organisation recorded a year-on-year increase of around 15 per cent and reported that half of all stolen dogs were gun dogs.

In the first three months of 2014, dogs registered as missing already include 160 Labradors, 97 cocker spaniels, and 80 springer spaniels.

The CLA has urged owners to cut the risk of theft by ensuring their animal is micro-chipped and wears a collar and ID tag, with full contact details.

Mr Chalmers said: “The government is bringing in compulsory micro-chipping for all dogs from April 2016, but we would recommend that owners act sooner rather than later.

“Gun dog owners should always be aware of where their animal is while they are on a shoot.”