A dog owner is “absolutely broken” after his two Springer Spaniels were stolen from outside of his home.

Matthew Cullum, a farmer from Forncett, just south of Norwich, said “laws need to change” after his dogs, Bonnie and Tilly, were taken between 5pm and 6pm on Wednesday, January 27.

Eastern Daily Press: Springer Spaniels Bonnie and Tilly were stolen from outside of their home in Forncett.Springer Spaniels Bonnie and Tilly were stolen from outside of their home in Forncett. (Image: Matthew Cullum)

The Springer Spaniels are working dogs, both three years old, with brown heads, white bodies and fairly small.

Mr Cullum believes their disappearance is linked with the rise in dog thefts, as the demand for pets has rocketed during lockdown.

The 31-year-old said: “I am absolutely broken. It has teared me apart. There is no other way of explaining it really. I just live in hope that we find them.

“I think lockdown has contributed to more people buying dogs, so the price of dogs has gone up horrendously.

“And criminals are seeing they can make good money. There needs to be a push for law change about the breeding and selling of dogs and dogs being sold on sites such as Gumtree.

“If you look on dog lost pages, you can see that they are being taken all over. It’s going crazy. People can’t even go out for a walk with their dogs.

“It’s horrendous. You can’t feel safe with anything at the moment.”

Eastern Daily Press: Springer Spaniels Bonnie and Tilly were stolen from outside of their home in Forncett.Springer Spaniels Bonnie and Tilly were stolen from outside of their home in Forncett. (Image: Matthew Cullum)

In a bid to find his stolen dogs, Mr Cullum took to Facebook and his post has now had more than 98,000 shares online.

It has also been reported to the police, but there have been no sightings of Bonnie or Tilly since their disappearance last week.

He added: “They mean everything to me. They are working dogs. I have had them for three years. Most of that I was living on my own and they were a big part of my life.

“They are really lovely. The nicest dogs.

“But you have to stay positive, it’s the only way you can be. I just hope we get them back.

“Please keep a look out, they are very distinctive, and make sure you’re buying from registered breeders

“This is a growing problem.”

Call 101 if you have any information.