Assistance dogs provide such a vital service, and have such an important impact on the lives of their disabled partners, that Dogs for the Disabled are keen to do all they can to protect them from theft, straying or accident. With dog-napping on the rise in the UK, and the worrying figure of 900 dogs being stolen nationwide each week, the charity have joined with the Missing Pets Bureau to give every one of their 200 assistance dogs across the UK the security of Petback MedAlert protection, worth £149 per dog.

This means that every assistance dog will wear Petback MedAlert ID tags that link to their microchip numbers, and are supported by specialist pet reunification and emergency services, which are open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. The scheme also allows for the dog’s DNA to be stored alongside signed witness certificates so that in the event of a dispute over ownership there can be no question of ownership.

In addition to ensuring the very best chance of reunification should your dog go missing or be stolen, the Petback MedAlert also means that should the worst happen, and your dog be involved in an accident, then the Missing Pets Bureau will liaise with local services to ensure that they receive emergency veterinary attention right away.

Missing Pets Bureau founder, Rupert Honywood, said: "Dogs for the Disabled is a fantastic charity that changes lives for their clients and we are delighted to offer all of their assistance dogs our very best 24-hour protection with Petback MedAlert."

Sarah Watson, spokesperson for Dogs for the Disabled said: “The rise in dog crime is a real worry and with the high level of care and companionship our assistance dogs provide, not to mention the huge investment that goes into their training, we feel a lot safer with the Missing Pets Bureau team looking out for them!"