244 dogs were reported stolen to Gardaí in 2020, an increase of 16 per cent on the previous year.
UK charity DogLost has noted a near 60 per cent rise in dog thefts and claimed criminals are now stealing dogs due to the increasing demand for puppies during lockdown.
DoneDeal suspended ads for dog sales in August, but there are still other websites available where pets are being sold for thousands of euro.
Corina Fitzsimons, Dogs Trust's Communications Manager, says more dogs seemed to go missing as lockdown measures were eased last year.
