Dog owners warned of mysterious white chalk markings that could be linked to dog thefts

Dog owners are being warned to be vigilant as mysterious white marks have started appearing, apparently ‘marking’ houses with dogs. 

White chalk marks are appearing outside dog owners’ homes in parts of the country, and are currently being investigated as to whether or not they are linked to dog thefts. 

People have reported seeing the marks on fences, gates and even the bricks of their homes. 

The reports are currently mainly in Suffolk, but some areas of Ireland and the rest of the UK have also had reports of similar incidents. 

A spokesperson for the Suffolk police told the East Anglian Daily Times: “We have had reports of some chalk markings being left in areas of Woodbridge and Kesgrave, but at this stage we have nothing to indicate that this is directly linked to the theft of dogs.

“We’d ask residents to remain vigilant and if you see anything suspicious or out of the ordinary please do call police on 101.”

East Anglian Daily Times report that people are becoming paranoid, with one resident, Carolyn Gallacher, saying:  “I have been going out every day to check for markings as I’ve been so worried about it, but I didn’t think I would actually find one.

“On Tuesday morning I was quite surprised to find a white mark outside the front of my house and one on my back gate. I reported it straight to the police who told me to stay vigilant as they had quite a few calls and said it was ‘rife’ at the moment.”

Carolyn says she feel frightened, never leaving the house without her dog, and when she does feeling anxious at anyone who compliments her dog.

She said: “The dog is part of the family, it would be like someone taking one of my kids.”

One Facebook user said: “This is not a prank or a wind up this is going on and is very serious. These people have targeted me twice and it has now cost me £500 for CCTV. They don’t only chalk they also use cable ties and they come round and leave your gates open so when your dog runs out they can steal it.”

A spokesperson for Suffolk Constabulary said: “In particular, we would advise working dog owners and breeders to review the security of any outdoor kennels.

“These incidents are happening in daylight. If dog owners, breeders or kennel owners receive unexpected visitors that cause suspicion, officers would be grateful if descriptions, footage or images of the individuals and/or their vehicles could be reported.”

This seems to have been happening for a number of years – with reports of similar incidents happening in Greater Manchester over the past few years – so if you know of any previous incidents or have any information, you can report online to the police or call 101.