According to AKC, pet thefts are on the rise. As much as 40% from last year. And they are expected to continue. I myself, came close to experiencing what it’s like to have your dog stolen. There’s a helplessness of not knowing what to do or how it could have been prevented from happening.
Why Do Pets Get Stolen?
Pets can be stolen for any number of reasons. If you have a popular breed that somebody can’t afford and they want it, they’ll steal it. Or maybe your dog reminds someone of their old dog. Some more sinister reasons for stealing include using stolen dogs in illegal fighting rings or reselling them to somebody else to make a profit.
How Do Pets Get Stolen?
Dogs can be stolen in the simplest of ways. A lot of times it’s your dog being in the wrong place at the wrong time. They can be taken from your yard if someone has easy access to it. If you’re on an off leash walk and your dog gets too far ahead. Even in public places like when you leave fido in the car for a moment and go into a store. Also never leave your dog tied up in the front of a store when you walk in for a moment. Because a moment is all it takes.
Breeds At Risk
Dog breeds that get stolen the most are those that are popular or expensive and highly sought after. This includes breeds like . . .
-German Shepherd
-Labrador Retriever
-Siberian Husky
-Golden Retriever
-English Bulldog
-Chihuahua
-Yorkshire Terrier
The list goes on. But despite breed, puppies in general are going to be at high risk too. They are cuddly, friendly, and won’t know any better if somebody grabs them.
Prevention
The best ways to keep your pet safe is to . . .
-Keep a close eye on them, especially if you’re outside or away from home
-If you not home, make sure your dog is secure or get a trusted dog sitter
-Install home security camera’s (good for general home protection)
-Have photos of you and your dog in the event that you need to prove ownership
-Have your dog microchipped and have visible ID tags on their collar
-Consider GPS trackers for your pet when you’re out and about
What To Do If Your Pet Is Stolen
If your dog is stolen, you need to act right away.
-Contact the police to report your pet was stolen
-Put up fliers
-Utilize social media like Facebook to get the word out to your community
-Contact the shelters, recues, and vets in your area
Story: When I Almost Lost Osa
I almost lost Osa, my West German Showline German Shepherd, on Halloween day. My daughter and I had gone into the city to spend the holiday weekend with my sister. I left Osa behind under the care of my husband who also had his dog. On Halloween day, the plan was for my husband to come meet us in the city so he could also be there to trick-or-treat with his daughter. Just before leaving, he took the dogs on his usual hike up our mountain (we have 12+ acres).
Now something to note is that my husband had also recently torn a muscle in his groin area. Therefore, he could only move at the pace of an 80 year old man. He should not have been walking in the first place . . . but he’s stubborn. Anyway, he had gotten to the backside of our property that meets up with the road. Osa had gone ahead of him and was sitting and waiting by the road patiently for him to catch up. There are almost never any cars coming down this particular road.
So what happens next? A car came down the road. They saw Osa and stopped. They stared at her for a moment while she sat there and starred back at them. They opened their car door, and Osa jumped right into their car without question. Quick as that, they shut the car door and drove away.
My husband, having seen all this take place, stood there a little dumbstruck before running after the car the best he could in his injured state. He waved his arms at the car, but they did not stop and turned at the fork and was gone. My husband didn’t know what to do, so he took the long route home on the road the car had been on.
Not sure what to do at this point and on his way home he soon heard a car behind him. It was the car that drove off with Osa. So he stepped in front of them to make sure they’d st0p. The passenger in the car was holding Osa. My husband told them that was his dog (or wife’s dog) and he’d like her back. They questioned who my husband was and what he was doing up there. My husband went ahead and said we live up there and live at the nearby property and he was walking the dogs when they grabbed Osa. They acknowledged that they had seen my husband on his walks before, they just didn’t pay attention to what kind of dogs there were.
Ultimately, they gave Osa back. My husband messaged me what happened. He made it down to see us in the city (with the dogs). But with the running he did he was in too much pain to go trick-or-treating. Luckily, we got Osa back. But had my husband not run into that car again, I don’t know whether or not we would have seen her again. I would have hoped they’d tried to figure out where she came from. We’ll never know. Almost losing Osa could have made for a frightening Halloween. But with Thanksgiving coming soon after, I was quite thankful that Osa made it back home with us. Keep your fur babies safe out there!
