Somebody Stole My Dog

Somebody Stole My Dog!

Don't let This Happen To You!

At least once a day, a plea for the recovery of a lost or stolen pet is posted to one of the rescue lists I receive. If the owner is lucky, the pet is found nearby and returned. If not, the pet is neither seen nor heard from again.

Pet theft is a growing phenomenon. Three individuals in Granite City, Illinois (about 20 miles from me) were recently arrested for stealing pets from people's yards. It's been common knowledge for years that multiple dog theft rings regularly operate in St. Louis and the surrounding areas.

In rescue, I frequently come across friendly, housetrained dogs who are immediately recognizable as displaced pets. I'm certain many of these dogs were either stolen or obtained under false pretenses by "bunchers" (read "Sam's Story"). Bunchers are people who make a living acquiring dogs through various means and selling them. Research labs are always in need of large dogs. They sometimes purchase these dogs from bunchers, who classify these stolen dogs as "random source" to obscure their origins. Bunchers also peruse "Free To Good Home" ads and have no qualms about bringing their kids along in order to pose as a happy family ready to give that unwanted pet a loving home. Make no mistake, these folks have the ethics of pond scum and their children quickly become as adroit at suckering careless owners as their parents.

Puppymills also buy stock from bunchers. Many times, I have gotten purebred displaced pets from puppymills. Most of these pets would have been condemned to live the remainder of their lives churning out puppies for profit except for one thing: They were neutered. Even in a very large mill, the puppymiller will eventually realize that the dog is not producing and get rid of it, hopefully by surrendering it to a respectable breed rescue.

Possibly the worst fate of a stolen dog is to end up as bait in a dog-fighting camp.

Sometimes, a lost dog is an inevitable accident. But most of the time, the loss or theft is entirely preventable. Here are some very basic tips and safeguards to ensure the safety of your pet:

Never leave your dog outdoors unattended. Would you leave a human toddler in the backyard in plain view of passersby while you sat indoors watching "Oprah"? If the answer is "No", the same should go for your pet. ALWAYS supervise your pet outdoors. This also goes for cars - never go shopping and leave your pet in the car. As for people who allow their dogs to run free ("We have seven acres for Fido to run"), it really goes without saying that this practice defies all logic and puts the animal at constant risk.
Do not install a pet door if you have only chain link fencing. Your pet will be outside in full view of a buncher and you won't even know it. On the other hand, 6' privacy fencing allows concealment and is tough to scale, especially holding a dog.
Padlock every gate. Yes, this might be inconvenient, but it presents one more obstacle to a thief, not to mention meter readers and neighborhood children. Here's the scenario: Two dogs outside in their yards, side by side, one gate is padlocked, the other is not. Which dog do you think the thief will go for?
Microchip your pet. In Illinois, every shelter and rescue is now required to microchip, and to scan each incoming animal. If the animal's chip is registered, the owner can be located 24/7. ID tags are easily removed, tattooed ears can be cut off. Microchips are not easily circumvented.
Spay/Neuter. Puppymillers sometimes buy "bargain dogs" in groups without inspecting them. Sooner or later, they will discard a neutered dog. Many of these fortunate pets have passed through IL-MO Rescue and other breed rescues. The owner may not get them back, but they get homes and families.

If your pet does disappear, there are some excellent web sites devoted to "lost pet recovery". It's unlikely they will help in the event of theft by a buncher. On the other hand, we had an incident here in Belleville where a large Siberian Husky was stolen, then recovered only blocks away when someone recognized her from her picture on a neighborhood flyer. Here are some lost pet recovery links with loads of good information:

By far, the best way to deal with pet theft is to prevent it. The Law does not recognize your pet's value beyond purchase price. Guard them as you would a human child - you're the only protection they have.