Nottinghamshire Police force is to employ a specialist officer to investigate dog thefts. The new role is to be introduced due to a rising number of dog theft cases across the county. Reports for dog theft surged last year, from 172 dogs in 2019 to 465 in 2020, charity Doglost found. Police warned of the rise in dog theft by organised criminals in February, as the demand for puppies continues to rise due to their increase in cost. Deputy chief.