Dog owner sickened as beloved Ivy stolen

A DOG owner has been left sickened after his cocker spaniel was stolen from a locked truck at the Game Fair event near Alcester on Friday (29th July). A GBP5,000 reward has been offered for the return of Ivy who was taken from a car park area at event, held at the Ragley Hall estate.

Ivy, a cocker spaniel who was stolen from the back of vehicle at The Game Fair on Friday 29th July. (58389202)

Garret Marson, from Leigh in Greater Manchester, said he has been left distraught. He was due to compete in the weekend’s home nation gun dog competition and said he had briefly popped out for 20 minutes to drop-off the trophy he’d won last year.

The business director for a veterinary supplies company had competed in the winning England team in 2021 with his other cocker, Junior, who was also in the back of the truck with Ivy but left behind. Ivy is yellow with a white chest, microchipped and was taken some time between 1.20pm and 1.40pm. A social media campaign has been generated to make her “too hot to handle”.

“It’s sickening, I’ve had about ten hours of sleep in the last week and spend every minute of the day just hoping that someone will get in contact to say they’ve found her,” he told the Herald.

“My dogs mean everything to me; they are not just dogs they are my family. I train them every day before and after work. I spend every minute of the day with my dogs.

They are my only hobby; I live for them.

“I keep thinking about where she is and how she’s being treated. That’s what keeps going through my head, it eats you up. She’s obviously going to be very aware that she’s not in her usual surroundings.

We just want her back in one piece.”

Ivy, a springer spaniel belonging to Garret Marson who was stolen at the Game Fair. (58391287)

As a competitor at the Game Fair, Garret said that he should have been able to park in a secure area reserved for participants, but this full, so he had to use the main visitor car park. His told the Herald his vehicle has tinted windows, and that Ivy and Junior were in a locked dog cage. He believes he was directly targeted by thieves who witnessed him letting out the dogs for a short walk when he arrived at Ragley after his journey down from Leigh.

There have been a number of dog thefts in the Stratford district in recent weeks – one of the latest, as reported by the Herald, took place in Shipston. Dog owner Matthew Carvell paid GBP2,300 to get his two English springer spaniels Connie and Alice after they were taken from the back of his van. According to the latest statistics from insurance company Direct Line, dog thefts in the UK have reached a seven-year high – with the equivalent of eight dogs now being stolen each day.

Garret added: “I do feel that dog theft should take a higher priority when it comes to police investigations and get more support as it’s mostly online volunteers who are doing all the work to try to track down lost and stolen pets.”

Warwickshire Police said officers are investigating and appealed for information.

As spokesperson said: “Enquiries are currently ongoing and anyone who witnessed any suspicious activity is asked to report it online quoting incident number 182 of 29th July.”