Herbie’s home! Stolen pedigree pug is reunited with his owners

Herbie was stolen from a property in Coven at the end of May.

Rachael Wootton, 31, and her husband Alex, were on holiday in Marbella when their prized pooch was taken.

Burglars broke a heavily padlocked gate to the side of Rachael's parents' house in Coven before smashing through a pane of glass in the conservatory, and then totally removed the back kitchen window to get in.

However, Herbie was handed into vets in Somerset and has now been reunited with Rachael and Alex.

A post of Facebook says: "IT'S TRUE HERBIE IS HOME!!! He's been checked over by the vet and he is okay.

"Thank you so much to each and everyone of you who have taken the time to support us and help Herbie find his way home.

"We could not have done it without you. We're off for Herbie cuddles! Big hugs to you all."

Herbie's return comes as an investigation found five dogs are being stolen every day across the UK.

Research by pet insurance at Direct Line showed a 19 per cent rise of the number of dogs stolen in 2016 compared to 2014, when 1,774 dogs were reported stolen compared with 1,491.

The Staffordshire Bull Terrier was the most stolen breed of dog, with 634 thefts – making up 42 per cent of the total.

Prit Powar, head of pet insurance at Direct Line, said: "It is perhaps unsurprising that the Staffordshire Bull Terrier is the dog most often reported stolen, given it is one of the most common dog breeds in the UK."

Designer breeds – such as miniature pugs and chihuahuas – popular with celebrities have also been targeted by thieves.

Mr Powar said: "Pedigree dog owners should be particularly vigilant as these dogs can often fetch thousands of pounds and have certain characteristics to make it easier for thieves to spot them.

"If the worst was to happen, owners should make sure they report it to the police immediately and spread the word within their local community."

The report found the actual number of dogs stolen may be much greater than the amount of cases reported to the police, as 1.5 million adults claim they have had a dog stolen from their care in the last five years.