WEST Yorkshire has the second highest number of reported dog thefts in the UK following an 89 per cent surge in two years, according to a survey.

A total of 1,774 dog thefts were reported in the UK last year, with West Yorkshire Police recording 208 of these.

There was an 89 per cent increase in the number of stolen dogs between 2014 and 2016.

Only 18 per cent of the region’s reported stolen dogs were recovered in 2016.

West Yorkshire Police had the highest number per force apart from the Metropolitan Police, which recorded 231 dog thefts last year. The study, by Direct Line pet insurance, had findings from ten participating police forces.

Andy Smith, 46, the owner of husky dog Murphy, fears many of the dogs stolen in the Bradford district are being used as bait for dog fighting.

He set up the Murphy’s Army charity, named after his pet of the same name which went missing on December 4, 2014, after a suspected theft at Scholemoor Cemetery, Bradford.

He was found, after a huge appeal for information, in Manchester on February 26, 2015, and returned to Mr Smith, of Robinson Court, Lidget Green.

Mr Smith’s charity looks to help owners reunite with their lost dogs.

He said: “It’s just getting worse in West Yorkshire. More needs to be done. There needs to be tougher sentences for those who steal the dogs.

“It does not surprise me that West Yorkshire has the second highest rate at all. They are getting stolen and are often getting used for dog fighting. People are saying that to us.”

Mr Smith says his charity is receiving up to 30 new messages appealing for information on stolen dogs each day. He said: “The situation on stolen dogs has got worse since Murphy was taken. There are now so many social media groups talking about stolen dogs in West Yorkshire too.”

A West Yorkshire Police spokesman declined to comment on the survey’s findings when contacted by the Telegraph & Argus, but said: “We take all reports of theft extremely seriously and work with householders and businesses to offer crime prevention advice.

“In particular with dogs, we would encourage their owners to get them micro-chipped and ideally keep them indoors or in secure premises when home alone.

“Where a dog has not been micro-chipped, it can be difficult to trace them and return them to their rightful owner.”

The survey found the most stolen breed of dog in the UK was the Staffordshire Bull Terrier with 634 between 2014 and 2016, for a 42 per cent share of all breeds stolen during this period.