PET theft is on the increase, with 25,650 dogs being stolen each year, around one in every 233 dogs in the United Kingdom.
Although cat theft is much more rare, there are still 6,000 stolen every year.
Many lost or stolen pets are reported to the Missing Pets Bureau, which operates the national Missing Pets Register and works closely with 10,000 rescue centres, police stations, dog wardens, vets and animal charities to reunite pets with their owners.
Dogs most at risk are rare breeds and gun dogs, including English Springer spaniels, Border terriers, boxers, Yorkshire terriers and Labrador retrievers.
"Finding out your dog or cat has been stolen or lost can be a traumatic event, said Robert O'May, insurance manager with Sainsbury's Bank.
"In light of this, our insurance customers can now obtain free help and advice from the Missing Pets Bureau."
Mr O'May advised owners to keep garden boundaries secure, supervise dogs in gardens or public places, consult a vet about having pets micro-chipped and make sure that their pets wore a collar and identification tag.
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