Stolen Yorkies Epedemic..
 

Hi guys. I belong to puppymill rescue and thought I'd post this from their boards. (See Below) Elaine.

"Hi all,

I just wanted to pass this on to everyone to be extra careful with your babies. For those who are involved in finding homes for these guys, it's an even bigger concern.

I don't know if this is happening anywhere else, but here in Arizona, yorkies are being stolen from back yards (yet another reason I would NEVER have a doggie door), houses, cars, you name it. They are going for anywhere from $2,000 to $4,000 per dog (average is about $3,500) so that is the motivation. Craigslist here in Phoenix is rampant with scams."

Good post thanks for sharing!

People that steal dogs make me sick! It really scares me... So many people know I have a yorkie and if they really wanted to, they could break into my house while I was gone.

ah, my family laughs at me when I say that bailey could get stolen! She isnt even 2lbs and full grown! I take her to work with me everyday and she does not leave my side! My dad thinks i am totally nuts when i go to the bathroom and make him hold her but i dont care! Its too risky. Ive even heard about people snatching them right out of peoples hands! Its so scary!

Some of my family and friends think I'm nuts too when I tell them that someone could steal Izzy in a blink of an eye and they think that just because we have a fenced in yard that no one can take her but I beg to differ...I go out with her no matter what the weather.

Great post and thanks for letting us all know about the danger towards our buddies. :thumbup:

thieves
 

Three yorkies in my area(5 mile radius) have been stolen/missing this summer. I live in the Queen Creek area of Arizona. Lynn

Thanks Elaine for the post. Even though Charlie is 10 yo., I don't let him in the backyard alone, when we are in the car and parked at the grocery store, he is in a crate or I leave him at home. Look how fast Zeke disappeared.

Such a worry. Warmly, Deborah

Yep, my dogs are the most valuable things I own. And they are totally priceless... I worry about it too, especially when I leave them home alone.

It scares me to death. I worry about that a lot.

it is al over but alot in ca as I am sure other places. It is so sad. we all need to be extra watchful.

Yes you really do have to watch them and worry!!!! It makes me sick though that people would steal a family member.

Thanks for posting this. I have also been accused of being overly protective of my girls, but there are just SO many thefts lately of these defenseless little babies. Since adopting Mango, I have stopped using the original setup with a pet door into a dog run, even though it is fenced on all sides and very secluded. I had a doggie door put in my back passage that goes to my garage, that way my girls go potty on paper there, without having to step outside.

Elaine,Hope Lilly is doing great, and that your Mom is holding strong.
Hugs to you,
Lauren

Read about it in the paper
 

Hi,

I read about a little old lady that was out walking her dog and two thugs pulled up knocked her down stole her dog, and she ran after them. I could not even imagine the horror she went through.

I also worry about huge dogs not on a leash. My Maltese (Anima) was attacked in SF by a chow chow not on a leash. We were on our way for our evening stroll through Golden Gate park. She was shaken like a rag doll. It was a nightmare!!! Thanks to the er she lived after three days on an iv and so many stitches. I took her with me everyday to work for months.

Years later she was attacked again by a Jack Russel Terrier. She was never the same after that. I have never taken Bella for a walk for fear of big dogs not on a leash. Now, we have to worry about thugs that are furbaby theives.

This scares me terribly...and I don't know what I would do if I lost my baby.....I can't let her run freely out in her back yard due to the halks/owls/coyotes, but I have screened off the top of her fenced in area which helps, but I haven't taken her out much for walks cuz when I do...people that are complete strangers comment on how tiny/cute she is and ask how old she is.......this worries me cuz I wonder why sooooo many questions about a dog....if I had a larger dog I bet you they wouldn't be asking sooooo many questions....I am hesitant to answer so many questions as I have no idea if they are just asking cuz they think she is cute or are they asking to gather info on her....I sooooooo wish I could take her with me to work everyday....

OMG, I always thought I was being too protective because I thought the same thing. I'm glad someone else feels that way! When I walk my babies I'm constantly on the lookout. Once my boyfriend left the backyard gate open after mowing and then let them out. They escaped and went to the neighbors house. I went out to check on them after 5 mins or so and when I saw the gate I panicked! Luckily our neighbor is honest and they were holding them on the front porch. This was before they had tags, so they had NO way of knowing who they belonged to! All the neighborhood kids had gathered and were petting them, and I saw them immediately when I came out on our porch. I was shaking when I ran to get them from the lady next door, and I cried for an hour after that just holding them. My boyfriend thinks I'm crazy but I know that if someone would have realized how much they could be "sold" for I might have never seen them again. Now they wear tags all the time and I CHECK 3 TIMES to make sure the gate is closed before I let them out...and I watch them go and then let them back in right away!!

Good post! :thumbup:

This is all so scary! We definitely need to keep a watchful eye over our babies!

I live in a part of Michigan that is made up of very small towns-- the sort of place where people leave their doors open and you can leave the keys in the ignition of your car when you go into the store without worrying. Even here, there's been a stolen yorkie I've heard-- really sad story too. She belonged to a man who was very sick and went away to a hospital in the nearest big city for a few hours for his treatments. When he came home, someone had broken into his home and taken his little dog. Reading the flyers his friends put up all over seriously made me want to cry.

It's so scary, but it is to be expected sadly when there are news stories everywhere talking about how Britney Spears or whomever paid $3000 for one of these dogs, and when pet stores sell them at outrageous prices like they do. People without scruples look at them and see easy money instead of the love of somebody's life. Every time I hear one of those news stories or see one of those websites with super-expensive dogs on it, I cringe, because they are really just fueling the epidemic. I've had people point at Penny and say "that's one of those dogs that cost thousands of dollars, right?" I always quickly jump in and say "no, I got her from a rescue"-- and I'd probably say that even if it wasn't true, just because I worry that somebody might come after her later.

I know someone who is a very serious breeder of another breed, and she won't ever tell anyone a price for any of her dogs unless they first check out as a suitable potential home. She won't answer casual inquiries at all. I think that is so smart-- it helps her keep her dogs safe, helps protect against people looking for a quick buck going out and stealing one or trying to set up a byb operation, and it helps to keep folks from looking at her dogs as just a status symbol.

This is one reason we have large dogs that have the run of the outside yard, people think twice about entering property that has large dogs, our labs would never bite but they are very protecive of their home, they run to the gate with teeth showing, along with their tails wagging, I have gotten to the point I don't take wicket out in public as much as I use too, after hearing about the dog that was stolen by tracing the car tags to see where they live.

I worry about having people come to my house when I have pups for sale. But, they can find the address from the phone number, if they want to.

That's another good reason to meet the breeder, and not leave your babies alone especially outside. Thanks for posting.

I'm OC too when it comes to my Yorkie...but it's not limited to Yorkies. Last night on the news here in Florida they said that someone broke into a home down here and stole a litter of 3 toy Poodles. Here is the post about it that the woman made:
My home was burglarized yesterday morning in Lehigh Acres, and they stole 3 Toy Poodle puppies. these are valuable Show puppies and had homes waiting to go to. There is one black male, one black female and one brown female, approx 2 lbs each. These are tiny little puppies 6" tall. They need their mother and were on medication and have not had their shots. I have had reports of someone trying to sell 2 black Poodle puppies in Immokalee yesterday afternoon. Anyone who thinks they may have purchased one of these puppies, I will be glad to reinburse you for your expenses along with a reward for the pups return. If you have any information you can remain anonymous and if puppy is returned I will give you a reward, no questions asked. Please call one of the below numbers if you even think you may have seen these babies.

239-848-6696

239-410-8014

239-303-1010

Please help spread the word permission to crosspost to any relevant list is granted.

Yvonne

Good post - thanks! Here in California too...

I was in the car w/ Meka waiting for my hubby who ran in the store... Two men outside of the store staring at Meka and I. I smiled a lil, but felt a lil uneasy as well. When hubby came out the store the man commented to him that I had a nice dog, and that he use to have one but it was stollen! As hubby walked away the man asked if he could have one of her babies!

Mind you Meka is only 6 mo's - so its more than obvious why the people are taking them and its sooo sad and very scary. I almost fear taking her outside and for walks cause you just dont know whos got any eye on your pup !!!

thieves
 

There is a reputable show breeder of Bulldags in Scottsdale, AZ. She was showing a littler to a "prospective buyer". They left and waited behind a block wall behind her house in the alley. When she left for the store, they just hopped over the wall and stole all her puppies. There were 7 pups and she was selling them as pets for 2500 each.
Another lady in north Phoenix, AZ was showing a litter of yorkies. She went into another room for approx 2 minutes to get some paperwork and came back to zero pups.
I like to show my pups out on the front porch. That way, "prospective thieves" dont know what is behind the door, what kind of surveilance I have, what room the pups are kept in, or how many people live in my house. I can also get the car make and plate #.
I am always worrying if I go away for the day. I have neighbors watch my house alot too. My neighborhood used to be a nice rural country place. It is now being ruined by gangs, illegal aliens,etc.
Lynn

This is so scary:eek:

This is why I never considered a fence for Chip. Eventhough he is part chihuahua, he looks predominantly yorkie. Chip is super friendly, and has pretty much lost his fear towards strangers, he would get into their cars if they let him. If I tie him up in the yard while I do yard work I all ways make sure I can see him, and now I only tie him up when I'm working in the back yard because you can't see most of it off the street. Its not only about stealing doggies for breeding, but stealing dogs and selling them to labs for animal testing, and using them as bait dogs for dog fighting..

I just saw in the paper a few days ago that a Yorkie was stolen in my tiny little town of Indiana, PA, home of IUP, which just boggles my mind. I hope they find the criminal because I would take great pleasure in charging him/her with that crime.

Chip is darling!!!

Thanks! If you said it to his face he would be all over you literally... :animal36