Woman threatened in attempted dog theft on Sussex street

A woman said she was threatened in the street by two men who attempted to steal her dog in Sussex yesterday (January 3).
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A warning was put out on Facebook after the incident near Race Hill and shared by groups including My Dog Daycare and Sussex Crimewatch.

She was walking her German Shepherd in Swanborough Drive, Brighton at 12.45pm, when she was approached by two men.

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She told the Brighton & Hove Independent: “I was out walking my dog, I was approached by two men. At first they said ‘can I stroke your dog?’

The attempted dog theft took place on Swanborough Drive, Brighton (Credit: Google Street View)The attempted dog theft took place on Swanborough Drive, Brighton (Credit: Google Street View)
The attempted dog theft took place on Swanborough Drive, Brighton (Credit: Google Street View)

“I said of course, but she will jump up.

“Then they said how old is she, I said she’s 19 months.

“As he came to stroke her he grabbed the lead and her collar. He said ‘give me your dog.’

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“The other man came round and grabbed me. My dog could see I was panicking and she bit his arm.

“I managed to get away, I called my dog and we ran down the hill.

“Then they disappeared.

“One of them said if I did not give my dog to them he was going to stab me. I did not see a knife.”

She described one of the men as ginger and quite skinny and the second man as large build, dark haired, with curly hair but shaved on the sides.

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A police spokesperson said: “Sussex Police are investigating a report that at about 12.30pm on Thursday (January 3) two men tried to snatch a German Shepherd dog from a woman who was walking with it along a footpath off Swanborough Drive, Brighton, towards the racecourse.

“The dog bit one of the men, who was coming away from the racecourse, on the arm so he let go and the woman ran home with the dog. She and the dog were unharmed.”

Anyone with information can contact Sussex Police online or call 101, quoting serial 470 of 03/01.