Stay Alert, Stay Safe

This is not about the pandemic but with the increase in dog theft, please be very careful when you are out and about for walkies.

Due to the ongoing national lockdown this past year, there had been a surge of puppy demands as hoomans looked for companion animals, especially dogs.

Sadly, there are some hoomans out there who have put two and two together and decided to capitalise on the situation. Prices for puppies have skyrocketed which has inadvertently sparked a high rise in dog thefts.

There have been reported cases of new litters being stolen from homes, as well as being snatched when out and about on walkies. So please be careful.

While I’ve always worn a Tractive to measure my level of activities, these days Mum makes sure I have it on just in case.

Please stay alert when you are out running around in parks or going on walkies. If a stranger stops to speak to you, be wary. We suggest your owners should quickly put you back on the leash and walk away.

Don’t leave us outside and make sure your gardens are secure.

We can’t be too careful in these crazy times.

May’s comments: In 2020, dog thefts in 2020 have increased by 250%.

These criminals steal dogs to use them for breeding, or selling them onwards to unsuspecting buyers. It is often the first time dog owners who are unaware of what is going on in the dog world. There hasn’t been enough reports on the media regarding this to make potential dog owners that the dogs they are buying could be someone else’s pet.

While crime of theft carries a sentence of up to seven years according to the Theft Act 1968, this doesn’t relate to dog theft. That act states that dogs are property in the same way as a pushbike or a mobile phone. 

Thieves think it’s all too easy and the punishment can be nothing compared to the gain. We need the Government to change the clearly outdated 1968 theft act.

Read this article from The Dog Listener. Stan has been campaigning for change. Help us to get the Government to change their archaic status at Change.org.

There are several petitions going on to make dog theft a more serious crime. Click onto Make Dog Theft a Specific Criminal Offence and help us bring this to the Government to change the law.

In the meantime, be careful. Look out for people asking too many questions about your dog, white vans parked nearby.

I take comfort in that Darcy is neutered and she is older – but the dognappers don’t know that until they have taken her. And when they find out, they will just let her go. That’s why microchipping is essential always and particularly now.

She wears a tracker every day – and even though they may wise up and remove it – at least for a short time I know which direction she had gone.

And in the case if someone should yank the lead – I also now carry an alarm that will sound and alert everyone around us.

I often see people letting their dogs walk off lead close to the parks and even on streets. This is such a bad idea as they are easily picked up if you are unaware. And maybe avoid shops that do not allow your dogs inside – tying them outside is making them vulnerable to dognappers.

I know this may sound over the top but these criminals have no qualms about what they will do. They don’t care that pets are part of someone’s family – and the emotional distress is felt both by the owners and the pets.

So just be careful, stay alert and be safe.