A DOG-LOVER has warned fellow pet owners to be wary, following the theft of his ninth dog in ten years.

Brian McArdle, of Delves Lane, near Consett, County Durham, kept his two puppies and their mother on his allotment in the village, so neighbours would not be upset by their barking.

But he discovered to his horror that thieves had broken in and stolen the pedigree dogs.

Mr McArdle said: "They bark a lot, so I kept them on Delves Lane allotment. But that was a big mistake. They used bolt cutters and opened the shed doors. They took the puppies but not the adult dogs, so they knew what they were after.

"Those dogs were going to be next year's winners."

MrMcArdle, who shows his animals at competitions across the country, keeps his other dogs in kennels at his home, and protects them with burglar alarms, padlocks and bolts, following the theft of his other dogs over the years.

Three years ago, Mr McArdle had two dogs stolen from his backyard, one of which was about to give birth. Seven years before that, five other dogs were stolen from his home.

The dogs stolen were two 12-week-old Lakeland Fell terrier bitches, with distinctive brown coats that are unusual for their breed.

PC Jonathan Hamill, of Stanley police, said: "We can only guess at the motives of the people who stole these animals, but it is possible that, with Christmas coming up, they planned to sell them on.

"There were other adult dogs at the allotment, but the thieves were obviously after puppies."

Anyone with information about the thefts is asked to contact PC Hamill on (01207) 232144.