Shocking moment 'Twiglet' the dachshund stolen in 'targeted' theft by fake delivery driver with hammer
28 July 2023, 06:30 | Updated: 28 July 2023, 06:31
Moment 'Twiglet' the dachshund stolen by man with hammer
The heartbroken owners of a stolen 16-month-old Dachshund have condemned the masked thief who disguised himself as a delivery driver to steal their beloved puppy in a calculated, "targeted" burglary.
Police have released disturbing CCTV footage of a masked burglar stealing a beloved miniature dachshund from her home.
Sixteen-month-old Twiglet was taken in broad daylight from her owners' house in the town of Saffron Walden.
The video shows the culprit, dressed in a hi-vis jacket with blue jeans, white trainers, gloves and a baseball cap,, entering the property around 3pm on Wednesday. Alarms sound as he snatches the frightened dog, wrestling her to the floor before carrying the crying pup away.
He is seen clamping her mouth shut to muffle her barks.
Detectives say Twiglet's family are extremely distressed and desperate for her safe return. They are appealing for public help to find both the stolen pet and the callous thief.
Twiglet's owners Jo Vindis, 43, her husband Jamie, 47, and their two children, aged 12 and 14, have been left traumatised by the theft.
Speaking to the Dail Mail Ms Vindis, a vet who was at work during the break-in, said she has been left unable to watch the 'horrifying' video properly.
"It was quite a small window so they must have been watching. She had been out with dog walker all morning and I had gone back to work. It seemed very targeted, it's what he wanted," Ms Vindis said.
"We're kind of thinking she was stolen to order. He likely targeted her and knew that she was valuable - they are quite a popular breed. It wasn't just an opportunistic thing."
"Within a few minutes of him breaking the glass door and the alarm going off the neighbours were checking it out," Ms Vindis explained.
Ms Vindis said that the intruder was driving a "light blue old-style Mercedes" and neighbours said they had seen the man before.
Detective Inspector Jamie Stirland said: "Thefts like this are very rare and we are taking the investigation seriously. We are reviewing area CCTV footage and carrying out multiple lines of inquiry to locate Twiglet."
He directly addressed the burglar, urging him to return the dog unharmed. No arrests have yet been made.
Ministers had announced plans in 2021 to make dog abduction a specific offence punishable by up to five years in jail, through the Kept Animals Bill. But the bill was quietly dropped in May.
Data from UK police forces show at least 1,620 dog thefts were reported in 2022, with more than 1,750 individual dogs stolen.
Detective Inspector Stirland said “This burglary has been incredibly distressing for the victims and as the public can imagine, they just want to see the safe return of Twiglet.
“Thefts such as these are rare and we are taking this investigation seriously and carrying out multiple enquiries, including reviewing CCTV in the area.
“We are appealing to anyone who may have any information to contact us and assist with this investigation.
“I am also directly appealing to the man in this video, asking him to return Twiglet safely.”
Essex Police has asked anyone with information such as relevant CCTV or dashcam footage to contact the force on 101 or report it online.
