DOGS are being stolen from gardens in St Day and sold for profit and illegal fights, it has been claimed.
Worried villagers have raised concerns after five dogs reportedly went missing last week.
Earlier this year a rottweiler and a rottweiler-cross German shepherd missing from Gwennap Pit, near St Day, were found shot dead and severely mutilated in Penstraze woods, near Truro.
Their owner feared they had been taken for fighting.
This week Julie Ward, of Crofthandy, said her eight-year-old springer spaniel, Bracken, disappeared last Wednesday.
Police have also confirmed a cairn terrier went missing from Poldice, with neighbours reporting sightings of two suspicious men driving a white Transit van in the area.
Ms Ward, a mother of five, said: "I came home on Wednesday afternoon to find my other dog barking like mad.
"I could not find Bracken anywhere – as if he had disappeared off the face of the earth.
"If he was down a badger hole or mine shaft his brother, Bramble, would have been sitting there with him – they were inseparable.
"I think someone picked him up or came to my drive and stole him. A lot of other dogs have gone missing recently and only yesterday (Monday) one was stolen from Illogan.
"The type of dogs stolen could be either sold on or used for fighting. We are devastated. If we found him dead we could live with that but not knowing where he is ... ."
Police confirmed Ms Ward's dog was reported as stolen from her driveway on April 24 between 1pm and 6pm.
Anyone with any information is asked to contact the police quoting reference GP/13/797.
The force is also appealing for information after a terrier went missing while out for a walk in the St Day area on the same day between 3pm and 4pm.
Anyone with any information is asked to call the police on 101, quoting police reference AC/13/1558.
