Dog theft is on the rise according to the American Kennel Club (AKC). As a matter of fact, AKC has been tracking kidnapping of dogs since 2007, and sadly, there was a 31% increase of reported cases in 2013. There are several reasons why people steal dogs (i.e. for re-sale, to be used for training methods and illegal fighting rings, etc.) and all of them are generally motivated by money. It’s undeniably a scary thought for none of us would ever want anyone to just get their hands on our pooches and do them harm.
Keeping your Pooch from Becoming a Victim
Small dog breeds seem to be higher targets as compared to their larger counterparts. Apparently, re-selling toy breeds like the adorable Yorkie and the fluffy Pomeranian can help the perpetrator earn as much as $2500 to $3000 USD while the cute Maltese breed and the teacup Chihuahua will let them gain about $1200 to $2500 USD! So to aid you in keeping your furball safe from these awful thieves, consider the following.
- Never leave little Fido home alone. Most stolen pets are snatched by strangers while they are not with their owners so try to minimize the risks of dog theft by avoiding situations where you would have to leave your pooch unattended especially in public.
- Vary your routine from time to time. Certain dog breeds (particularly those who are worth a lot of money) are sometimes targeted even during their daily walks. It is always recommended for you to change your routes and walks’ schedule with or without dog. Also, whenever possible, try to go to a different park or green space time and again instead of going to the same exact spot every day.
- Get your dog micro-chipped. The microchip, which is just the size of a rice grain, is painlessly injected under your pet’s skin for tracking purposes. Micro-chipping will ensure that if you lost your dog but someone found him, any institution will be able to link your pooch to you through the identification information installed in the chip itself; thus, increase the chances of reunion.
- Use adequate fencing. If you are going to keep your furry friend in your yard, see to it that you use adequate fencing to keep him from escaping when they are not under manned supervision. You want to prevent those terrible robbers from being tempted to easily jump over your wall only to nick little Fido. Remember, it only takes a couple of minutes to get this done.
- Train your pooch to a perfect recall. Pets are generally snatched while they are astray or lost. This often happens when the owners walk their dogs or are playing with them without leash, and then all of a sudden, the pooch runs off and vanishes. I bet you have already encountered this scenario at least once. Fortunately, we still manage to locate our pets within minutes, and everything is forgotten. But in certain cases, dogs actually run away for good. While dogs are normally docile pets, remember that anyone who has ill intentions will be more than happy to take away your pooch and resell him within hours or days.
