There was a rather wonderful and fascinating programme on television this week about dogs and their relationship with us. We were shown dogs that have saved the lives of humans in a huge variety of ways, from seeking help after accidents to demonstrating the ability to sniff out cancerous cells.

We already know how useful sniffer dogs can be in detecting drugs, missing people and criminals. We knew too that they could be of invaluable and life-enabling assistance to people who are handicapped by deafness or blindness. The programme showed us a man who in the aftermath of a brain injury lost all memories of his family, so that his wife and children were strangers to him. He lived in a semi-vegetative state until one dog managed to penetrate his isolation and bring him back into the world to the extent that he eventually remarried his estranged wife. The same dog then went for help when they were both hit by a car. Another dog’s reluctance to go near its thitherto beloved owner led to a diagnosis of breast cancer, the removal of the lump and the return of the dog to its former loving behaviour.

The willingness of dogs to trust us so completely makes it even harder to understand the way in which a disgusting minority treat these willing and loyal animals. There are those, apparently, who are entertained by the sight of dogs fighting each other to the death, however much the rest of us may struggle to imagine how anyone could derive pleasure from such cruelty.

This is of particular relevance at the moment, as it was reported this week that there have been several incidents of men intimidating dog walkers around the roads near Stokenchurch Dog Rescue and trying to persuade them to part with their animals, either for money or by suggesting that the dog formerly belonged to them and had strayed. Fortunately, so far these attempts have been thwarted.

It is likely that those dogs are required for illegal coursing as Labradors, Spaniels, Lurchers, Greyhounds and Salukis have all been targeted, thus far.

It is important that all of us who own dogs are extra vigilant and report any suspicious incidents, especially during the summer holidays when children might be exercising dogs, if these vile people are around our area and seeking to take advantage of any opportunity to snatch a dog.