Incidences of dog theft have been increasing over the past few years, with a staggering 2,000 incidents reported of dog thefts from homes and gardens every year. The film, created for Dogs Trust puts real-life families and their pooches at the heart of the campaign, and seeks to raise awareness of the increasing problem of dog theft. It urges viewers, “Let’s keep the family pawtrait complete.”

Various dog owners are shown having “family pawtraits” taken, with their four-legged family member taking pride of place. When asked what their pets mean to them and to contemplate what it would be like if their dogs were stolen, the response is that it would be akin to an abduction of one of their family members.

It was part of a wider campaign that Dogs Trust is running to encourage dog owners to keep your dog “safe, spottable and searchable“. At the same time, the charity is urging the Sentencing Council to hand down sterner sentences for people found guilty of dog theft. The campaign has been supported by a number of police and local authorities as well as Neighbourhood Watch.

The emotive film ran on social channels, backed with print and digital assets for use in Dogs Trust‘s owned channels. The campaign received an overwhelming response on social, with viewers sharing their own #familypawtraits and stories of their beloved four-legged friends.