A Christmas Warning about our Small dogs!
 

Jamie (yorkiecrazy) posted a thread in OFF TOPIC http://www.yorkietalk.com/forums/sho...744#post320744 about a stolen dog from another Petsmart Groomer in Houston but this applies everywhere and I want to say this about stolen dogs.....

We are seeing more and more of this due to the skyrocketing prices & popularity of small breeds - it's SCARY and can easily happen to any of us

I say this because Christmas is coming.... but IF you take your yorkie ANYWHERE with you - BE AWARE of your surroundings and always watch to see if you are followed or someone is paying way too much attention to your dog....

With the holidays - there are thieves... and I can easily picture someone seeing one of our cute yorkies and following us home to see where we live so everyone needs to ALWAYS be very very careful - with or without your yorkies - but these days.... they are a HUGE target for people who steal dogs.

I know of people who have had their yorkies stolen right out of their own yards - their homes... and also at Groomers - it's very scary and I just wanted to post this to remind everyone never to let down your guard.

and to wish everyone a SAFE HAPPY HOLIDAY and .....let's be careful out there ! :)

Thanks for the reminder, Villette! It's terrible to think we can't take our babies with us everywhere because some freak may be following us and wants to take our dog.

I know and they are getting smarter and smarter...it used to be we had to worry about valuables - now we have to worry about our LIVING Valuables :(


Our yorkies are worth FAR more than money to us - but others are now seeing them as an easy target to make a fast buck and THAT is just scary !

Thank you Villette! This is very important and very scary! I am so thankful that I trust everyone who interacts with my babies (groomers, daycare).

It's also going to and from these places that we have to watch these days too - We should always be careful no matter what - but when we have our babies with us - there are now TWO targets.

What a good reminder! Extra vigilance can certainly save a broken heart and I don't mean just yours! :(

You are so right Villette!!! I can't believe someone had their dog stolen from Petsmart groomer :( ALSO, we shouldn't leave our dogs in the car alone for even a minute....I've done this before to run in to pay for gas or pick up an item from the grocery store since the temps have dropped..but I can just see someone breaking the window and running off with my dog! Just like we shouldn't leave our purse in the car for a minute, especially at this time of year, we shouldn't do that with our babies either. Something to think about.

Excellent point - it only takes 15 seconds to break into a car -

I even watch extra careful when I take the girls to the Dog Park and a few extra turns to make sure when I come home - I just picture in my mind how great a place that is for someone to scope out the expensive breeds and follow someone home to see where they live.... just so they can come back at a later time and steal their dog(s)

I know I live in a Big city.... but Dog Thefts are increasing across the whole country - the price of small breeds are making our precious dogs targets for JERKS !

Thank you so much for the warning Villette. This is very scary and sad.

Thank you for bringing this to my attention. I never even gave it a thought!

Good post Villette! This is something we should all be aware of and watch for, especially at this time of year. Thank you for bringing it to our attention!

That's so Good to hear !! I feel I've done my job :) :) :) it SHOULDN'T have to be something we need to think about but the sad case is - we do

Thanks for the heads up. Your right, you can never be too careful.

Wow! Thanks for the warning. I really never have given that a thought. But there are sooo many crazy people out there and you know they are capable of almost anything. Thanks for the warning and posting this! You are always looking out for all of us and all our little ones!!!!!

I know what you mean Villette. I have to be careful of my surrounding whenever I took KC for a walk. We have alot of teenagers around our apt. complex. They like to make comments about how cute and little he is. I know they want to pet him but I always ignore them, and pretend i didnt hear their comments. Last week I told my bf thats i'm scare to walk my dogs out cus they always tell each other that they want one of those. The fact its the holiday too Im affraid that they want to steal KC as a gift. But my bf think i'm to overprotected, it just a dog and I should just let them pet him. I was so angry for him to tell me that. I yell at him for that. Told him that this is my baby and its not a cheap one either (I didnt tell him how much i paid for KC) and thats why everyone want one. Some people just dont understand that its more then just a dog its part of your family too. My whole family things i'm nuts.

Very SMART Susan - it's always better to be safe than sorry -

and Nata - you have every right to worry about that - you NEVER know and a teen could want to impress his girlfriend with a dog - yorkies are SUCH easy targets these days ...you're a good mom to be watching them closley

I NEVER walk my girls in my hood because of big dogs and too much crime - It sucks but that's the way it is - I just won't take a chance with the girls...they do have a yard and we do go to the park but even doing that I'm really careful now. I don't really want anyone even knowing I have yorkies anymore - I practically hide them when they're in the car going thru my area -

And now after reading about all the Petsmart Grooming thefts - it's even worse. Both the Petsmarts are very very close to me and I've been to both of them :(

I'm not trying to scare anyone - I just want all our babies to always be safe and it's up to us to keep them that way

This is a story that ended well, but you know that is seldom the way it is.

Once-kidnapped pup a parade star

She felt as if her heart had been ripped apart that night 18 months ago.

Jane Elizabeth Howard of St. Augustine Beach left her dog for less than half an hour in her Jeep parked outside the Gypsy Comedy Club. During that time, someone nabbed her baby, a 5-pound teacup Yorkshire Terrier.

Amazingly, six months and 22 days after Lizzi was stolen, a stranger found the little dog and returned her home.

"Keep the faith," Howard said as she grinned endlessly. "Wonderful things do happen."

Saturday morning, Howard strutted through the streets in a red velvet dress, white gloves and a Santa Claus hat. A ring of pearls decorated her neck and her black shoes sparkled as she marched in the St. Augustine Christmas Parade.

Lizzi, now 5, and Buster Brown, 10, her Australian terrier, have been in two Easter parades, but this was their first Christmas parade.

The two bounced proudly in their matching Santa hats and tiny shirts. They each had bubble baths the night before so they would look their best.

Lizzi was a gift from Howard's husband, Thomas Howard. He passed away in 2002, about two years after giving Howard her favorite present.

The night the dog disappeared, Howard vowed not to stop searching until her baby was home.

She had posters made and scoured St. Johns County. She even offered a reward for the dog's return.

Then, one night she got a call from a man named Joseph. He said he found Lizzi and she still had her dog tags on her.

Howard was shocked. It seemed unreal, she said.

The next day a friend went to meet the man at Krystal restaurant. Howard didn't go because she thought it would not be a good idea to drive in her excited state.

When the friend arrived with the dog, she knew right away it was her baby because the dog has one ear that sticks up. Lizzi stunk, was covered in fleas and had clearly been through an ordeal, but Howard could not have been happier to see her, she said.

Howard took the Yorkie to her veterinarian, and for the next six months she nursed Lizzi back to health.

"It was like Jesus brought her back," Howard said as she choked back tears. "She's a survivor."

Howard does not know how the man found her dog or who he was, but she will forever be grateful.

Lizzi, who has been home about a year, loves everyone she meets. And Lizzi follows her everywhere, always keeping an eye out.

Jackie Knight, owner of the Comedy Club, helped Howard search the night of Lizzi's disappearance.

"She never gave up, not one minute," Knight said. "It was a miracle that she found the dog."

http://www.staugustine.com/stories/1..._3495371.shtml

In the photo: JANE HOWARD carries Buster Brown and walks Lizzi down the parade route Saturday.

If you look at the picture closely, it looks like he has a collar on and she's dragging the poor little thing! :(