By Richard Tara Barry BBC News, Manchester

Doglost says the police do not issue crime numbers for stolen dogs

Jayne Hayes, founder of Doglost.co.uk, says her group has seen a fourfold increase in stolen dogs in 12 months.

She said the police "prefer to list dogs as missing, not stolen" and is now encouraging owners to go to their MPs if dissatisfied with the police.

But officers deny the claims, saying they treat all cases "seriously".

'Threaten police'

"The police are worried about a rise in their crime figures," said Ms Hayes.

"Those figures would go through the roof if every stolen dog was given a crime number," she told the BBC in a statement.

"Usually the owner has to threaten the police with a complaints form to be given a crime number and in most cases when they ring again they are told the case is closed."

We treat theft of any kind very seriously and would always issue a victim of theft with a crime reference number Greater Manchester Police

Kaye Fitzgerald-Gorham of dog recovery organisation Lurcher Search, said people who call on her organisation for help rarely have anything positive to say about police involvement.

"It's simply not true that the police investigate every dog theft they are just too busy and there's too much paperwork involved."

Joanne Lowe, a dog breeder from Stockport, singled out Greater Manchester Police (GMP) when describing the theft of her dog 'Bullet', a four-year-old bull terrier.

She said: "They (the police) didn't give me a crime number and showed no empathy whatsoever.

"Their attitude is 'if anything turns up, we'll let you know'."

GMP rejected the claims arguing that it "treats theft of any kind very seriously and would always issue a victim of theft with a crime reference number".

A spokesperson said: "In order for a crime to be recorded we have to have sufficient evidence that a crime has been committed. There must therefore be evidence that the item has been stolen and not lost."

Mrs Fitzgerald-Gorham said that it remains incumbent on owners to take responsibility for their dogs much more seriously.

"Get your dogs ID'd with both tattoos and chips and take precautions, like never leaving your dog outside a shop, or alone in an unlocked garden."