Trend of dogs being stolen
 

Don’t let your dog off-leash
Don’t leave your dog unattended in your yard
Be Cautious with information – If strangers approach you to admire your dog during walks
Never leave your dog in an unattended car, even if it’s locked
Don’t tie your dog outside a store
Protect your dog with microchip identification
Reports are almost daily of pets stolen during home invasions, out of parked cars while people are running errands and even snatched from dog lovers out for a walk in the park!:eek:

Take precautions, loosing you pet will be devastating...

I think we are seeing more of this due to the poor economy.

Thank you. I saw that on Foxnews.com this morning and it coupled so well with my post of a few days back about the AKC's announcement of dog thefts being up almost 50% in a single year! Thank goodness a lot of the news services picked the story up and are running with it. Dog theft! That just scares me to death and I wonder if they steal them to sell them or cannot afford to buy a dog so they just take it. Ergo, if they don't have enough to buy a dog - how in the world can they afford to give it adequate vet care and really good dog food? Everybody, watch your dogs - big and little - like a hawk!

Puppy Mills, False Adds, stealing dogs ! Why do people do theses bad things with dogs ? 99% of the time it is GREED.

Well trust me, nobody would try to steal our BRT Magic or for that matter Zoey. They'd be minus a hand if they tried.
And as Razzle is now walked all the time with Magic; nobody comes too close.

At dog shows now, I've taken to bringing our extra large crate and when I am away from the site, Razzle in his own crate is put into Magic's big crate. Then the big crate is locked; both dogs are safe!.

The big crate is locked, because at one show I was at; some kids were running around opening up crates and letting the dogs out!

What scares me is what if they start stealing them at gunpoint? I wouldn't put it past people.

gemy,

HA HA, that sounds like my two as well ! :thumbup:
My Male Sneakers is a LOT more aggressive than is My Female Becca.
I always Crate them together, just to make sure that She doesn't get
in one of her more friendly moods, and not have some backup.

Locking their crate is a good idea, but...
I've always had a small/short piece of Chain available,
There are numerous post/other "attachments" which would
keep the Crate where you put it !
When not in use, I just pitch both chain and lock underneath
the Pad, and they're there when you need them.

I love all the threads about precautions as they do serve to remind us to be so careful with these preciuos four-legged gifts we've been given to spend our lives with. There's almost nothing better than a cold nose and a wagging tail and a bouncy, furry little ball of energy to get to spend your time with. And reminders like this help to keep each one of them safe at home where they belong!

Oh that is just awful that those kids would assume its ok to let peoples dogs out of their crates like that. I know here in Ohio in the past I've sat with friends dogs while they had to do something though normally those around will keep an eye out for others dogs. I'm moving back to Toronto soon where I was born and hope to never see kids doing that since I love going to dog shows. I gave up my show dog bow business here when my husband lost his battle with cancer and will start it back up on the home front to fill some time and help me adjust back to city life. My daughter was just talking about this same subject last week here in ohio bigger dogs stolen for bait and smaller dogs being stolen for $$. she works in a vet clinic that is very popular with rescue groups due to its spay and neuter program. us yorkie moms are a unique breed I stopped going into cvs when the one lady told me no dogs allowed and I had been doing it for years. My grocery store here the girls will ask where the baby is since its close enough for me to walk her over in her stroller when I might need one item or two and they even babysit..lol

Oh my gosh! I really never knew this could, or would happen! What a shame!

I wish the people who steal these dogs would realize how unhappy the dog is as well as the owners when this happens. I wish people just cared more then this world would be so much better.

SO true ! :thumbup:

Someone I dogsit for told me her sister's German Shepherd was stolen out their backyard in Atlanta. She has a big dogrun outside and was stolen right from their backyard. :( So sad. It seems to be happening a lot lately.

That's awful people would steal, but I can totally see why. Some people out in this world amaze me with what they will do.

New website for Stolen or lost Yorkies
 

Flickr: Stolen or Lost Yorkies


Hoping it doesn't grow, but just in case...............

A 1 year old pit bull mix was stolen from his yard in my town yesterday. Witnesses said a man pulled up in his car and grabbed the dog and sped away. :(

I am so thankful for reminders. When I had Taycie spayed, I opted out on the microchip and I have been kicking myself ever since.

I saw a previous thread of dog napping up 50% so.. The next morning Taycie was chipped. She is with me 99% of the time but I in the split second something awful may happen I want to make sure all my bases were covered.

We think of our Homes, as being the safest places, and frequently, complacency, or that old adage "couldn't happen to me", causes us to be very lax about our surroundings.

I give my two access to my back yard anytime they want (doggy door) and when they're out at the back of the property, it's very hard for me to actually see them, or know what's going on with them.

This is not a new thought to me, and I've been over the Fencing and Gates with a fine tooth comb. It's like a Fortress, and, I even had a friend of mine, "pretend" he was trying to get in, and he pointed out several vulnerabilities, which I fixed immediately.

There were a couple points, which I'll share with you...

Regular Gate Locks are rather flimsy, and even more vulnerable IF you can reach them from over the Fence. I installed a simple Spring Hook which is in the lower part of the inside of the door, impossible for anyone to reach now.

Fence Boards are weak too. A firm kick or pull, and one can open up a place for a dog to be taken. Nails pull out easily, but Screws don't.
I have an Battery Drill, and I went and bought a box of cheep Screws, and along the back part of the Fence, I put one screw in the bottom and top of each board. HA, I was also thinking about how much stronger they were now, in case of a Hurricane ! :D

Last of all, get a second opinion like I did, having someone else take a look with a more objective eye, can reveal any number of vulnerabilities on how secure your area is.

I already read about a case were they gunpoint an owner walking her Yorkie and away they went with the little one...:( I take my dog everywhere I go, and if she can't go in with me I just don't go.

:goodpost:

gidget,

Thank you for your kind words.

Also, when I was putting those screws in, thinking about the Fence being stronger to resist high wind, it dawned on me...

Nefarious people aren't the only threat out there, if one of the Boards slipped out of place from the wind, my two would be just as gone ! :eek: