Stolen dogs among 59 rescued in Swansea and Neath Port Talbot

Five people have been arrested after 59 dogs were rescued by police across Swansea and Neath Port Talbot.

The pets, some of which had been reported stolen, were recovered on animal welfare grounds after search warrants were issued on Wednesday.

The arrests covered offences including cannabis cultivation, conspiracy to commit theft, conspiracy to commit burglary and money laundering offences.

All five suspects were released under investigation, said South Wales Police.

The police thanked the RSPCA, Animal Welfare and the National Crime Agency for helping to track down the dogs.

As well as retrieving the dogs, police seized Rolex watches, a stolen horse box and trailer and a collection of cannabis plants.

Ch Insp Nia Hughes said: "In response to public concerns, and acting upon community intelligence, we executed several warrants across the Swansea Neath Port Talbot area.

"This was a fantastic example of partnership working and we are pleased to achieve such a positive result.

"Not only have we been able to retrieve the dogs but this is a prime example of intelligence-led policing which has resulted in the recovery of these dogs."

Officers have begun trying to identify the dogs which were believed to be stolen and are hoping to return them to their rightful owners by checking for microchips in the pets.

Ch Insp Hughes added: "We know the emotional impact that dogs being stolen has on their owners and I want to reassure people that we have put a substantial amount of time, effort and care into finding the people responsible, and our investigation is very much ongoing.

"If you believe one of the dogs is yours, then we would ask for proof of this, with a minimum being a photo of you with your dog."