Horsham dog lover’s warning after fears men were trying to steal ‘adorable’ puppy

Lauren Barnes, 27, said she was out walking Bentley, her 13-week-old Golden Retriever puppy in Charington Way, Broadbridge Heath, when two men wearing hats began staring at her four-legged friend.

She said: “They were so fixated on him. It happened so quickly. I just found the situation really weird.”

The men pulled up close to Lauren and Bentley, and one opened the passenger door. The business development manager said she gathered Bentley in her arms and took her phone out to try and snap a picture of the men after fearing they may try to steal her pup.

Lauren added: “As I did that they shut the door and sped off. I was just concentrating on getting away from the situation.

“It sped off at quite some speed. It was just pretty surreal really.”

Research from animal charity Dogs Trust has shown the cost of puppies has soared since early last year. Demand for dogs is at an all-time high, with Google searches for ‘buy a puppy’ increasing by 115 per cent since before lockdown began in March, according to the charity.

Lauren said she bought Bentley for £3,000, which was ‘one of the cheaper’ adverts. The animal lover added that she spent time researching puppies and had wanted a dog for years before buying Bentley. She avoided puppy farms because she ‘didn’t want to be part of the problem’. Lauren added: “You can’t put a price on him. I just love him. He’s adorable.”

She said if Bentley was stolen it would break her heart and wanted to raise awareness about the risk of dog theft.

In a message to other dog owners, Lauren added: “Be vigilant. Keep your wits about you when you go out.

“If you don’t have to go out alone I wouldn’t. Me and my partner would normally go out together.