Springtime is just around the corner and I know that with the warmer weather there will be more little yorkies out in fenced yards and more will be stolen. This just seemed like a timely article:
Suddenly, it seems the barely noticeable Yorkshire terrier is catching unwanted attention from thieves.
Maybe because people can't resist the miniature dog's charm.
Maybe because celebrities like Tara Reid, Britney Spears and Carmen Electra reportedly own Yorkies.
Or maybe because pups typically net anywhere from $600 to $2,500 each.
Whatever the reason, thieves - in Hutchinson and across the country - are leaving behind the standard bounty of jewelry and electronics, taking yapping Yorkies in their stead.
Sgt. Thad Pickard with the Hutchinson Police Department said he's worked at least two theft cases involving Yorkies in the past several months - and he's aware of one other case in Hutchinson where the dog was found dead.
In one case, the would-be thief fled before capturing the animals. The other ended with the Yorkie safely back at home - thanks to a tiny microchip embedded under the dog's skin.
The thefts appear to be a nationwide trend: News reports from February contain pleas for help from families in Queens, N.Y., as well as Reno and Lake Tahoe, Nev. On Friday, The AP released a security video of armed gunmen tossing Yorkies into a black plastic garbage bag at a Los Angeles area apartment. On Saturday night, four of the five missing dogs were returned to their owners after a man turned himself in for the crime.
"I don't know what's driving it," Pickard said. "They're a nice dog to have, they're small and they're easy to care for and they're an expensive breed."
Connie Marcotte of Hutchinson had heard enough of the neighborhood dogs' barking, prompting her to leave the kitchen, lean out the back door - and see a would-be thief trying to coax her Yorkies away.
A teenage girl squatted near an open gate, attempting to lure Bubba and Rocky out of the yard.
"I was furious - I was beside myself," Marcotte said. "I called my husband and told him to come home. ... they're our babies - both our children are grown and gone."
The girl fled when Marcotte approached her. If there was any doubt of the youngster's intentions, it was erased when Marcotte discovered the purse-like dog carrier, leash and blanket the girl had left behind.
A few months later, Shad Flint walked into his house and noticed his Yorkie, Megan, didn't bound to the door to greet him.
Flint filed a report with Pickard, and told the officer the dog had been "chipped" with a tiny device that contains an electronic serial number. The microchip, along with a neighbor's detailed description of the suspect, was crucial in the dog's recovery.
"Another $30 investment and a good neighbor stepping up and the odds of getting your dog back triples," Flint said.
With a suspect in mind, Pickard approached veterinarian Randall Smith, with Apple Lane Animal Hospital, about the electronic recovery devices.
"I don't think we would've gotten the dog back without the chip," Pickard said.
Marcotte has since had microchips put in her pets.
"Hopefully, if something ever does happen it will help me find them," she said.
Marcotte said she doesn't feel comfortable leaving her dogs alone anymore, with all the news accounts of thefts and her own experience with a potential dognapper. She worries about letting them out in the back yard, and she's still a little angry.
"I just can't believe someone would go around taking other people's pets," Marcotte said. "If you want a dog, go to the pound."
Protect your pet:
One stolen Yorkie was recovered with the help of a microchip that identified the dog.
Installing the chip costs $35 to $50.
It involves implanting the device - about as small as a grain of rice - under the skin, usually between the front shoulders.
Registration records the serial number in the manufacturer's database, which also records the breeder who purchased the unit.
A handheld scanner records the serial number, allowing police and Humane Society workers to track down the animal's owner.
Veterinarian Randall Smith said many people mistakenly believe that the microchip is a Global Positioning Satellite system that helps them track their animals.
The chip, without a scanner, is useless.
http://www.hutchnews.com/news/local/...ie030507.shtml