West Yorkshire is the top dog-napping spot in the UK.

Police figures obtained by dog charity Blue Cross show that there were 168 incidents of dog theft in 2016.

Most common dog breeds stolen include Staffordshire Bull Terriers, Jack Russell terriers and Chihuahuas.

And the lives of those once beloved pets are almost certainly ill-fated with certain breeds being taken by crooks – either to be sold on the lucrative black market or to be used in violent dog-fighting rings.

Blue Cross receives more than 8,000 calls and emails from people who have lost a pet, many who have been the victim of pet theft.

But national charity Dog’s Lost warns that the figures may not show a true representation due to a range of factors.

Nik Oakley from Dogs Lost said: “Police forces vary with recording figures so it may not be comparative with another areas of the country.

“It is also incredibly hard to get a crime number for a stolen dog because they could have just wandered off.

“The figures also don’t include ‘theft by finding’ where a pet is found and kept to obtain a reward.”

Nationally dog theft continue to rise with more than 1,800 dogs stolen in the 18 months up April last year.

A West Yorkshire Police spokeswoman 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.”