The price of dogs and puppies have been going up in the UK since the lockdown began, which has become great incentive for organized crime gangs to snatch up dogs in order to sell them for less. 

There has been a higher demand for dogs during the pandemic due to stay-at-home orders and quarantine forcing people to stay home. Most people are looking for companionship, and a dog is usually a great one. 

In some areas, dognappers have been marking the outside of a house with chalk to indicate that they hav ea viable dog they could steal. Warnings have been going out to communities to stay vigilant, as at least 40 dogs in the UK have been snatched. 

Source: The Independent

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/dog-stolen-puppies-theft-lost-sell-buy-cost-coronavirus-suffolk-a9652231.html