A woman and two teenage boys have been arrested after 27 dogs were seized following a warrant in Essex as part of an investigation into dog thefts.
Officers, supported by the RSPCA, carried out the warrant at an address in Dunmow on 1 April.
They seized 27 dogs: 19 adults and eight puppies of different breeds including Spaniels, Lurchers, Terriers, a French Bulldog, and a Rottweiler.
It is believed the puppies, which are estimated to be between six and 10 weeks old, may have been born on site.
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Officers are currently in the process of identifying the dogs to establish whether or not they are stolen and, if they are, identify their owners.
Three people - a 54 year-old woman and two boys aged 14 and 16 - were arrested on suspicion of theft and animal cruelty. They have since been released under investigation.
PC Glenn Braden, from the Uttlesford Community Policing Team, said: "We know the devastation the loss of a much-loved pet can cause and we take reports of thefts seriously.
"We have been carrying out extensive enquiries into recent reports of thefts and this warrant comes as part of that.
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"We are now working to identify the dogs we found at this address and, if stolen, identify their owner so we can return them.
"If you have any information about the theft of a dog then we need you to contact us."
If you have any information about the theft of dogs or believe one of the seized dogs may be yours, please call us on 101 quoting incident 136 of 1 April.
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This comes after a family were reunited with their Labradors after the dogs were stolen from outside an M&S supermarket.
Nantwich Police posted an update which explained a man, a woman and a 14-year-old boy have all been arrested on suspicion of theft in relation to the incident.
They wrote: "We are delighted to say that we have recovered the two dogs that were stolen from outside a Marks & Spencer store in Nantwich on Saturday.
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"The Labradors were found at an address in Stoke-on-Trent this morning.
"As you can see from the photograph, they have been returned to their hugely relieved owners.
"Three people who were at the address in Stoke - a man, a woman and a 14-year-old boy - have all been arrested on suspicion of theft in relation to the incident.
"They are currently on their way to custody to be questioned as part of our ongoing investigation into the dog thefts."
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