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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Are you more concerned about dog theft at the moment?

117 replies

Trulyatraditionalman · 18/02/2021 21:58

Posting on behalf of my friend who is absolutely terrified of her dog being stolen, and has even bought a rape alarm in case anything happens on her walks! There is so much dog theft due to the rise in demand for dogs/puppies and thus their value. I see a "missing" post a few times a week on my local Facebook page...awful.

For those who are dog owners, have you feel more uneasy about taking your dog out for a walk/dog theft in general in the past year?

YABU - I'm not any more cautious than I was a year ago
YANBU - I definitely feel more worried about something happening to my dog in the past year or so.

OP posts:
Chimeraforce · 19/02/2021 08:45

It's bad. 4 blokes took a dog off an autistic boy in the local fields.
French bulldogs are Very vulnerable here. If I had a dog, I would not let my child walk it alone.
Yesterday, I saw a blacked out car pull up outside my house.... Then realised they were calling to kids walking dog opposite. Kids continued walking. Car drove off too slowly.

Bangable · 19/02/2021 08:57

I’m not overly worried because of where I live, rurally, with no real public access to my garden (we have horses in a field at the bottom of the garden and their field is private / enclosed, which offers a decent level of protection).

Despite living in a touristy place, I stick to the walking areas only known to locals and rarely see anyone, I’m usually with DH and he has started carrying a hammer. We have a lab but we also have a pair of beautiful dogs who are twins, they get attention wherever they go so are highly desirable. They would be a dog thieve’s dream but as I said, due to the location of our house / where we walk the dogs, I’m not too worried at the moment.

My dogs are chipped and we have trackers on their collars, but of course neither of these offer any protection from thieves Sad

sunflowersandbuttercups · 19/02/2021 11:59

If I had a dog, I would not let my child walk it alone.

I'm always surprised people do that anyway, to be quite honest, even without the worry of theft. Most children are not strong enough to cope with a dog that pulls, and they'd have no idea what to do if the dog got injured or in a fight, or if the dog escaped it's collar etc.

I see kids here who can't be older than eight - and they're out walking big dogs on their own with zero supervision Confused - it seems SO dangerous to me.

Emmelina · 19/02/2021 12:20

We don’t have a dog, but all over local pages recently are posts about suspicious characters paying far too much attention to dogs with lone walkers, asking lots of questions, following dog walkers.
The local police here recently raided a traveller site nearby where they recovered 12 dogs believed to have been stolen (chips didn’t match their location or each other, that sort of thing). *not saying it’s a traveller thing, just that we have a ‘known’ group.
There was also a disturbing post recently where someone tried to cut the lead between a woman’s wrist and her dog and her wrist got injured.

Please be cautious when walking dogs. Don’t send the kids out alone. Walk in a group. Make sure you have your phone on you. Don’t walk after dark. General safety tips apply!

LimitIsUp · 19/02/2021 12:26

I think the whole thing is overexaggerated - not saying that dog thefts aren't happening, just that there are tonnes of unsubtantiated reports on facebook of 'suspiscious' incidents where people were concerned that their dog was about to be stolen because someone looked funny at them.

I follow our local police facebook page and they have specifically posted that they have not experienced an increase in reporting of actual dog theft incidents

VapeVamp12 · 19/02/2021 12:26

I have a very cute Pomeranian. I now don't let her off the lead when we walk, I like to keep her very close. There were some reports a while ago of dog thieves marking up peoples front fences / gate posts of where dogs lived. It's so scary. I would be absolutely devastated if someone got my dog, she would be terrified.

Aprilx · 19/02/2021 12:27

I have two pugs, neutered males aged 6 and 3. I honestly cannot imagine anyone would want to steal them. But even if they were desirable to someone else they are usually on lead and as we are rural do not see many people on their walks anyway and those we do see we know.

I would not dream of leaving my dogs tied up outside a shop! They don’t normally come shopping anyway, the only time they would is if we were both going in which case one of us would wait outside with the dogs.

LimitIsUp · 19/02/2021 12:30

www.facebook.com/katie.malcolmson/posts/10159131140132235

Here is the post from our local police team

Original poster
Trulyatraditionalman · 19/02/2021 12:33

@pogotheclown God that's awful! Hope your husband is OK?

Thanks everyone for the interesting replies. I am considering getting a dog in the next couple of years, but I am put off by the amount of theft in my area. My poor friend really is terrified - she owns a beautiful black rescue pug and would be devastated if anything happened to her!

OP posts:
Original poster
Trulyatraditionalman · 19/02/2021 12:35

Sorry @pogotheclown, accidentally tagged you instead of @babyalexander!

OP posts:
LimitIsUp · 19/02/2021 12:37

"I’m usually with DH and he has started carrying a hammer" Wtf?

LimitIsUp · 19/02/2021 12:37

OP - read my link and show it to your friend.

stopgap · 19/02/2021 12:46

Absolutely awful. I’m in the US suburbs and so far this hasn’t become a “thing” here, although I will probably become more vigilant while out walking. I have three rescue dogs and one happens to be a an-ex puppy mill French bulldog. She’s spayed now, but it does make you wonder 😢

BabyAlexander · 19/02/2021 12:55

@Trulyatraditionalman thanks. He's been left with some nerve damage sadly.

I want to make it clear. We live rurally, it still happened. Our dog is always on a lead and a harness, it still happened.

I would agree there are a lot of unsubstantiated reports, but the police were clear with us that it is very much on the rise. They said they were seeing a rise before the pandemic because the new rules around cashing in scrap metal make it harder to do so, and this has replaced it. Lockdown, and the rise in prices has exacerbated it.

I also don't believe we were targeted. We don't have a set dog walking routine, this must have been people cruising around looking for an opportunity.

I hope people aren't too scared, we still walk our dog but I just don't alone. It's good to be alert to the rise in this.

Littlefluffyclouds13 · 19/02/2021 12:57

I'm definitely more worried, our dog is 6 but is always mistaken for a puppy as she is small and very cute! She's a cross breed and definitely very desirable.
Pre wfh she was left for the odd hour, maybe a couple at the most if we were shopping etc but I won't leave her now and drop her off at my parents rather than leave her home alone.

The thought of her being stolen and never knowing what became of her breaks my heart!

DeadButDelicious · 19/02/2021 13:01

I am concerned. I don't walk my dog at night anymore, I don't let her off lead, I don't leave her in the yard unattended when doing her business and I would never ever leave her tied up anywhere. She is a small desirable breed, fortunately she's neutered. I'd be devastated if anything happened to her.

oil0W0lio · 19/02/2021 13:01

Blimey scrap metal theft has been replaced by dog theft😱
Keep your pooches on a very short leash everyone!

LimitIsUp · 19/02/2021 13:04

BabyAlexander - was this after dark? Walking down the street or in a wide open space?

CorianderBee · 19/02/2021 13:15

There are signs up in our park warning that people have been trying to abduct dogs. So sad.

Iremembertheelderlykoreanlady · 19/02/2021 13:15

I have become more concerned about this lately.

I have a golden retriver. Very handsome and not castrated (yet!)

He does weigh 45kg though and is very attached to me (to the point of annoyance!) So I think anyone trying to take him when I was there would have to be very very strong.

Out walking the other week I passed a van with dogs in the back in cages. Not a dog walker, like a work van. I took a photo of the number plate in case anything popped up on social media but it never did.

So probably just the van owners dogs. I felt silly doing it but if I hadn't, and something had popped up on social media I'd have felt like a twat.

Newusernames · 19/02/2021 13:19

@Iremembertheelderlykoreanlady

I have become more concerned about this lately.

I have a golden retriver. Very handsome and not castrated (yet!)

He does weigh 45kg though and is very attached to me (to the point of annoyance!) So I think anyone trying to take him when I was there would have to be very very strong.

Out walking the other week I passed a van with dogs in the back in cages. Not a dog walker, like a work van. I took a photo of the number plate in case anything popped up on social media but it never did.

So probably just the van owners dogs. I felt silly doing it but if I hadn't, and something had popped up on social media I'd have felt like a twat.

Our dog walker has removed their branding from their van so it’s not obvious/less of a target so now just looks like a normal van from the outside. I know it’s in the news today that a dog walkers van was stolen in London with dogs inside so I think a lot of them are starting to take precautions!
oil0W0lio · 19/02/2021 13:19

pretty easy to steal a dog..... so many owners don't keep them on the lead and are more interested in their phone than what the dog is in doing!
But surely only a puppy would have much resale value🤔

Iremembertheelderlykoreanlady · 19/02/2021 13:23

Oh and to add, I'd be much more worried if I had a small desirable breed

French bulldog
British bulldog
Cockerpoo etc
Pug

Iremembertheelderlykoreanlady · 19/02/2021 13:25

Our dog walker has removed their branding from their van so it’s not obvious/less of a target so now just looks like a normal van from the outside. I know it’s in the news today that a dog walkers van was stolen in London with dogs inside so I think a lot of them are starting to take precautions!

Good point!

This one had another logo on the side like a builders van sort of thing.

Iremembertheelderlykoreanlady · 19/02/2021 13:27

But surely only a puppy would have much resale value🤔

Not at the moment. Dogs of any age are massively in demand if they are pedigree.

And adult dogs can be used for breeding which is a BIG money maker at the moment.

If the dogs turn out to be unsuitable for breeding they could be used for dog fighting or just disposed of Sad

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