A dog watch group has been set up in Wiltshire following more attempted pet thefts in Marlborough and Chippenham.
Dog Watch Wiltshire aims to connect communities of dog walkers to report the growing number of incidents.
Only this week, an elderly man walking his dogs in Savernake Forest had to fend off two men trying to steal his dogs.
And another woman in Lyneham defended herself - and her pet dog - with a torch.
A man approached the woman near the Green in Lyneham, and asked the breed of her pet.
Once she responded, the man tried to grab the lead from the victim’s hands but she hit him on the head with a torch she was carrying.
The man then got back into his van and left the scene in the direction of Calne, police say.
Archie Rawlings was walking his four dogs in Savernake Forest near Marlborough.
He lashed out at the men who came up either side of him.
Both had leads and  had been calling his dogs to them.
He walks with a stick, and said: “Maybe they thought an old guy with a trilby hat and a walking stick would be easy meat. 
“In my opinion these people are the scum of the earth. What they do to people and people’s life is terrible. 
“I meet elderly people, ladies on their own, if it had been one of them heaven knows what would have happened.”
“I was walking the dogs as normal as I do most days twice a day. I parked up, let the dogs out and locked the car and walked on along the path. About three quarters of the way along I see two men, scruffily dressed,” Archie told BBC Wiltshire.
“They started shouting and I thought they had lost a dog. Then I realised as they got closer that they were trying to call my dogs. They were about 40 yards away. I stood my ground with them but they were still trying to encourage the dogs to them.
Archie’s  dogs are working dogs, so fortunately obedient to his command, and came to heel when he asked them.
“I could then see each of them had a lead wrapped around a wrist. They come slouching up, swearing and still trying to get the dogs.  I stood my ground but the older guy, who was very unshaven in his 30’s  came around to my right. The only thing I thought I could do was to whack out. The other one was on my left hand side.  I thought he was going to hit me, so I got in first.”
Dog Watch Wiltshire has been set up to bring together communities in the fight against dog theft. Its aim is to build a network of reporting of dog thefts. 
Organisers of the Facebook page which already has 1,30o members.
“We want people to share suspicious behaviours, and provide support and guidance for dog owners and non-dog owners alike,” said Sarah Ellen of the group.
“By raising awareness of dog thefts, potential thefts will realise that communities will no longer standby and watch their dogs be stolen.”