Appeal for witnesses following attempted dog theft in Aldershot

We’re appealing for witnesses and information following an attempted dog theft in Aldershot.

At around 12pm yesterday, Tuesday, 7 February, a woman in her 40’s was walking her dog along a path behind Alderwood school playing fields, towards Aldershot Park, when she was approached from behind by a man unknown to her. 

The man attempted to take the dog’s lead from the woman before assaulting her, causing her to fall to the ground.

The man then ran off in the direction of Aldershot Park.

The woman sustained a cut to her cheek.

The dog was not injured.

The man is described as being white, approximately 6ft 3 inches tall, wearing all black clothing and old dirty white trainers.

Officers are carrying out enquiries and as part of our investigation we are appealing to anyone who may have witnessed the incident.

Were you in the area at the time? Did you see the incident? Maybe you saw a man matching the description in the area?

Perhaps you live or were driving in the area at the time and have private CCTV including Ring Doorbell and dash-cam that might have captured footage of a man matching the above description?

Anyone with any information is asked to contact us on 101 or online at https://www.hampshire.police.uk/  quoting reference 44230051903.

Officers are carrying out extra patrols in the area today. If you have any concerns or information please don’t hesitate to speak to them.

Thankfully dog theft is rare but when it does happen it is very distressing for both owner and pet which is why we want to remind you of our advice to try and reduce the risk of this happening to you:

- Avoid leaving dogs unattended in parks, empty cars, or tied up outside shops.

- If you wish to let your dog off its lead be vigilant and aware of who is around.

- Always ensure an adult is present when a child is walking the dog.

- For dogs that wear collars, make sure they have an ID tag that clearly displays your contact details. Resist the temptation to put their name on their collar, as thieves could use it to lure them away.

If a suspicious person approaches you and/or your dog please report it to us by calling 101. We take all reports of this nature very seriously – if incidents are not reported then we can’t target our patrols where they are needed the most.