Colchester man helps Essex Police recover suspected stolen dog

Jack Goldring, 29, who lives in Colchester, was relaxing in a city centre bar on Tuesday when he overheard his friend talking with two men.

After venturing outside the venue, he was left stunned and taken aback when the pair asked him if he or his friend would like to purchase their dog.

Jack, who has a German Shephard, grew suspicious of the men and questioned them over how they had come to be in possession of the worried-looking pup.

Hero -Jack Goldring, 29, of Colchester bought the dog for £20 (Image: Public)

Fearing the worst, he decided to take them up on their offer and bought the dog for a small fee of £20 before immediately taking him home.

Jack said: “They denied it but straight away I knew the dog was stolen just because they were trying to sell it quickly and for very little money.

“I looked at the dog and it looked scared and frightened, so I took the dog from them and took him to my house so he was safe.

“I love animals and would never let anyone take advantage of one so I knew I had to step in and take control and make sure he was safe.”

After successfully retrieving the dog, Jack published an appeal online with the hope of reuniting him with his owners.

Frightened - the poor pooch who will hopefully soon be reunited with its owner (Image: Public)

The post was soon spotted by officers at Essex Police who contacted Jack before picking up the pooch from his home.

Jack added: “The police came to collect the dog as it was reported. I feel very happy and glad I was there to help him.”

Essex Police have now confirmed officer “safely recovered” the dog and, alongside the relevant authorities, are now in the process of attempting to track down his owner.

According to figures published by the police, the force received 486 reports of dog thefts in Essex between April 2015 and December 2022.