A man has warned fellow Watford dog owners to be alert after a woman ‘tried to steal' his pet.

Gary Lewis, 62, had briefly let his dog Lily out once he arrived home in Matlock Crescent, South Oxhey, at around 11am yesterday.

A woman then drove past before turning around, getting out, and picking up his dog.

When Mr Lewis demanded to know what she was doing she claimed she had lost her dog. She put the pug/bichon cross down and quickly got back in her car when he challenged her again.

Watford Observer: LilyLily (Image: Gary Lewis)

The ex-army dad said: “What was she doing?

"It was not a friendly thing. She was up to no good.

“When she said ‘I’ve lost my dog’ I thought, well why are you driving over to pick up my dog then?”

He alerted his neighbours, who have dogs, and issued a warning on social media for dog owners in the area to be careful. 

He warned it should be a “red flag” if someone approaches a pet without asking.

Read more:

He added: “It made me quite sad for the rest of the day that people can do this.

“People don’t understand what dogs mean to people. I live alone and with a disability, so the dog got me through Covid.”

Have you got a story for us? You can contact us here.

Follow us on FacebookTwitter and Instagram to keep up with all the latest news.

To receive breaking news alerts or newsletters sign up here.

Check out our Watford crime and court Facebook page here.