Three-year-old Alan was brazenly taken away by the callous crook on Harlow Way, in Ashbourne, Derbys., on Tuesday morning (12/11).

Video footage shows a hooded manin dark clothing walking on to the driveway before leading the pooch away from the property at around 11am.

Derbyshire Police said they have launched an investigation but no arrests have yet been made.

Holly Bryan, 27, the cousin of Alan’s owner Stuart Godfrey, 45, was at the house at the time and has launched a social media appeal to track Alan down.

She explained how Alan had been tied to a post on an extendable lead on the drive because work is currently being done on Stuart’s garden.

She said: “We left him there for about half an hour to give him a bit of exercise while the work was being done because he had escaped through a fence before.

“I went to go and get him so we could give him a bath and he was just gone. We thought at first he must have escaped after slipping his lead.

“We assumed someone would find him and we’d get him back but when Stuart noticed the lead had gone too we started checking doorbell footage.”

Holly then posted the heartbreaking video on Facebook and reported Alan had been stolen to police.

She added: “We could not believe the audacity of him. The house is on a cul-de-sac and it was in broad daylight. Our hearts sank.

“Stuart lives on his own and Alan is all he had. He’s gutted. He comes to my house all the time and the kids play with him, he’s very much our family’s dog too.

“My cousin is beyond himself at the minute, Alan is such a joy to be around; it’s such a loss that he’s gone.

“A lot of people have said poor dog to be dragged away from that but Alan actually jumps up like that when he’s happy.

“He’s such a friendly dog and he was more than happy to go with his stranger. He’s just like that, but that makes it worse in a way. He had no idea what was happening.”

Holly believes he was taken away for studding due to Alan being a pure-bred cockapoo and not being neutered.

But she says police have done nothing to help so far and was told it could take a week for officers to visit.

She added: “Cockapoos are everywhere around here so we assume he’s been taken for studding. They are really popular

“But we are not bothered about who you are or what’s happened, we just want Alan back.

“It’s disgusting and the lowest of the low. But the police have done nothing to help so far. They said it could take a week for an officer to come out.

“I’ve found a suspicious Audi that was in the area at the time and advised them to check CCTV from a nearby garage but we’ve not heard anything from them.

“I know it’s a dog and there’s a lot going on out there but it’s still a theft that has had a devastating impact on us. We just want Alan home.”

A Derbyshire Police spokesperson said: “An investigation is in its early stages and we are following several lines of enquiries but no arrests have been made at this time.”

Anyone who has information which could help with the investigation is asked to contact the force on 101 or online, quoting incident number 24000676906.

The independent charity Crimestoppers can also be contacted anonymously on 0800 555 111, or by visiting their website.