Dog thefts - are you concerned?

[GeorgieTheGorgeousGoat]

We’re very new to pup ownership, GeorgiePup is just 13 weeks old but I’m increasingly aware and alarmed by the rise in dog thefts and I’m finding the whole thing very stressful. Has it always been a thing and I just haven’t noticed because I didn’t have a dog or is it on the rise and I should be worried? I’m quite an anxious person anyway and finding myself worrying at night that someone will break and steal him. What do other feel about it?

No I’ve never worried about this tbh, is he a breed that’s particularly likely to be stolen? Is he chipped?

I really don’t think this is something you need to be massively concerned about

Yes, it terrifies me. We've massively improved security with a new back door, new locking gate and our two are never left in the house alone unless absolutely necessary. We also have a baby monitor in the kitchen so we can hear if there is any noise at night.

It makes me so angry that it's barely recognised by the law. I also don't walk on the roads alone just in case - we go through fields and footpaths. There are some serious arseholes out there.

But you can't stop it from letting you enjoy your dog

I'm struggling to sleep at times because I'm so paranoid about her being nicked! We've got CCTV on the front of the house but not set it up on the back yet. She's a sighthound so very stealable to use for hunting. Sometimes I sit awake watching the cameras Debating getting a baby monitor for her room so at night I'd hear if someone got in with her...

Dog thefts have increased over the past year or so, not helped by the rise in puppy prices during lockdown. Friends of friends have had dogs stolen, less than 10 miles from where we live.

However, most like dogs that are stolen, these were kennelled (they were working dogs). Dogs are also at risk if they are outdoors unsupervised where people can just reach over the fence and grab them. I'm not too worried about my own dogs, as our garden is very secure - and I really don't think anyone is going to break in. I would think your dog is very safe in your house with you.

He’s a cockapoo, no idea if that makes him more of a target or not. I wonder what exactly they are after? Money essentially but I don’t know what breeds are worth more than others.

He sleeps in the kitchen and we have a baby video monitor watching him mainly for toileting and settling reasons.

It is something everyone with a dog of any breed / mix should be concerned about . Recently there have been a couple of cases of dogs being stolen whilst on walks with their owners because they were quite far ahead off lead and were taken before the owner could do anything about it . My advice would be don’t leave a dog unattended anywhere out of the house even in a car and on walks keep them fairly close by .

I was very scared when our 3yo dog was a pup- there had been several snatched pups from parks in our central london area. Once he was neutered and grown, I was less worried, but there have been lots of reports of thefts recently all over london so I am very aware when out walking him. I also worry about burglars- just as he’s the most precious thing to us (obviously he’s not just a thing)and it does seem like cr8minal types just see dogs as cash ... so he sleeps in the bedroom. I am a bit of an anxious type though , sorry!

I used to worry about it, as DDog looks like a fighter! Was worried he’d be stolen for dog fighting.
However, he now is too old and decrepit to be stolen.
Make sure your garden is secure, and keep your dog on a lead around roads.

This is one of my worst fears as my dog is basically my baby (we don't have kids) and even my Dh worries about how attached I am to her at times. That said, I try not to worry about this or at least give it the airtime in my head. I walk her alone most of the time and in 5.5 years nothing has happened and I can't not walk her alone for fear of someone pinching her. Our garden is secure and I rarely leave her in the garden for more than a few mins before getting her back in. Yes someone could break into the house when we are out and take her - but we can't not go out and leave her now and again!
So what I'm saying is - I'm the most anxious dog mum there is but you can't let this fear rule your life. I still think the chances of it happening are incredibly rare (despite the increase this year)

My pup is one that has got popular over the last year or so. Shes never left in the garden unsupervised, even if she refuses to come in, im still stood at the back door watching her. She sleeps in her bed upstairs with us and isnt left for more than a couple of hours. Shes in her crate out of sight of windows and doors when were not home. I dont walk her alone at night either

I’m not worried. We wfh and never go out. So someone is here all the time. Dog sleeps on the landing most nights. Even if she was downstairs she goes nuts if anyone approaches the house so we would hear her barking.

I wouldn’t leave her in my car while I went in a shop. The garden is private and very secure.

It is so scary, I really feel for the dogs and owners who go through this. It must be absolutely awful.
I don't worry too much with mine as he wouldn't take kindly to someone trying to steal him, to say the least.

Its less common for people to break into houses to steal dogs. They are more at risk if left in cars, the garden or off lead. I'm glad I have a mardy mongrel (and not a designer mongrel either a proper Heniz 57 mongrel)

I don't worry personally because if anyone stole my dog they'd soon let him go again
In all seriousness this is one reason why I wouldn't have a 'valuable' pedigree dog (along with the health reasons and high insurance etc etc).
But now that you have one, just make sure you keep him safe. Kind of like precautions if you had an expensive car I guess. (I don't have one of those either so can't tell you, sorry).

Our oldest dog is nearly 4 and dog thefts have been rife since we got her but escalated during lockdown.

It does worry us, both our dogs are breeds that are likely to be stolen. At the height of the dog thefts over the summer, we started making sure the dogs aren’t unattended in the garden. It’s a shame because during a nice summer we would leave the back doors open and let them wonder in and out to suit themselves.

Thefts are more likely to occur if you leave him unattended in the garden, leave him in the car while you pop in the shops or outside the shops. You can join local Facebook groups who will likely post if there’s concerning behaviour in a specific area such as people approaching owners on walks. Also look at joining the dog lost Facebook pages, then if your dog gets out (not just stolen) you’re in the group straightaway but dog lost will pat things about dog thefts in your area. Make sure you have your dogs microchip number in several places, store the paperwork with your other documents but put the number in a note in your phone. Take lots of photos of your dog (obviously a huge chore) to prove the dog is yours, just in case something happens.

Take reasonable precautions, don’t ‘advertise’ your dog, don’t share too many details on social media so if you share photos make sure your privacy is high and people can’t identify your house. Be aware but don’t let it spoil dog ownership for you. When you get in the car, there is risk you could have an accident and you take reasonable steps to ensure that doesn’t happen. Hopefully, you don’t worry about having an accident on every drive.

Agreeing with PPs about not posting photos of dogs on social media.

There was an article t'other day saying that organised crime had now moved into dog stealing instead of drug dealing as it is profitable without the harsh prison sentences. There are a lot of dogs stolen & it really worries me.

God, I don't even have a dog anymore, but this popped up in active! This is so awful. Very worrying. What's wrong with people?

Not worried to the point of it making me anxious, but worried enough to:

• keep helf an eye on him in the garden, even though it's secure
• not let him out of active sight on a walk
• not leave him anywhere public, i.e. tied up or in a car (obs there are safety reasons why I wouldn't do this too)

It helps that he would not typically accept being stolen and is likely to back away, bark, run off etc.

I was warned by a few dog walkers to be careful walking our dog when he was a small puppy. They told me there had been some men going round asking owners of sought after breeds about their dogs. A few weeks ago, I noticed a couple watching my dog for ages. They called over to me and started to ask questions. I felt so uncomfortable and wanted to get away, but I soon realised they were genuinely trying to narrow down dog breeds before looking for a puppy. Try not to worry and take sensible precautions.

I'm not worried but mine is neutered and a bit of a wimp so he wouldn't be much use to anyone really 🤣

That being said he's never left in the garden unattended and I never let him out of my sight on walks either. I also would never leave him alone in the car or outside a shop - I think if you take basic precautions you're generally going to be okay.

The reason the stories of people getting beaten up etc. for their dogs make the news is because they're so rare. The vast majority of thefts occur from gardens or kennels (ie. when dogs are unattended and not inside the home).

Also be wary about what you read on social media and don't let it scare you or make you too paranoid. There are lots of fake stories out there of missing dogs and you only ever hear half the story - a lot of "stolen" dogs have simply gone missing on walks or have escaped out of the garden or back door.

Dog theft is sadly on the increase. They are mostly stolen to either sell on or for constant breeding.

So get your dog neutered/spayed and microchipped.

Don’t leave unattended, outside shops etc or in a kennel in the garden. That is where most are being stolen from.

To be honest the main trend at the moment is to break into breeding premises and taking pregnant dogs and puppies. Easy to sell the puppies on, then use the dogs for breeding.

Pet theft from houses is rarer, unless it’s opportunistic, ie they are breaking in anyway and they see the dog and take it. That is where the microchip should help.

Big breeds are stolen for fighting, popular breeds are stolen to sell on, dogs and bitches are stolen to breed in puppy farms, working dogs and whole litters of puppies are stolen to sell and anything else is stolen to be used as bait for fighting dogs. Dogs are being stolen all over the country. People are attacked out on walks, houses are broken into, dogs vanish from seemingly secure gardens stolen to order by gangs for dog fighting. It’s absolutely terrifying and for the first time in my life I am wary when walking my dog. I’m just hoping it’s mainly been fuelled by this ridiculous demand for puppies during lockdown and will eventually calm down again. I do think though that it is a massive, massive problem right now and there just isn’t enough being done to highlight the issue to many dog owners who are blissfully unaware. We need much more publicity about this and much tougher penalties for anyone stealing someone’s much loved family pet.

It’s sadly got much more common due to the increase in demand during lockdown. A lot of family pets have been stolen in Ireland and found in England. The key thing you need to do is make sure they’re not unattended and try to vary your routine I.e. don’t always walk the same route at the same times. Don’t publicise your dog/location on social media (definitely don’t use any hashtags I.e. #cockapoo etc.)
Try to pay attention when walking your dog - no earphones etc. and keep them on the lead.
Make sure your dog is microchipped (and that the details are correctly recorded - there’s a common issue where they’re chipped but details don’t get registered correctly, so check these details yourself online, and update them should they change!) this will help should the worst happen.
If you are out and about and anyone is showing an interest in your dog, publicise the fact they’re neutered/spayed - this greatly devalues them for potential thieves and normal dog lovers will not be perturbed, a lot of dog owners are now doing this on groups I’m part of.

Join local Facebook groups etc. To be alert to any suspected issues.
Make sure you have clear photos, particularly if any identifying marks (sadly some stolen dogs have their microchips cut out) this can help prove ownership/share their true likeness should they go missing.
Pay attention to any changes to your perimeter - some people on dog groups I belong to have reported “markings” on walls/garages/outbuildings which they believe to signify that dogs are on premises and have been marked as a target - I’m not sure where I stand on this and think some of it may be melodramatic and coincidental, but it doesn’t hurt to keep an eye out for any changes.

Sadly dogs are stolen to order now and I have to be careful when taking my British bulldog out for a walk as she's very friendly.
Cocker pops are desirable still because they are allergy friendly dogs.
Dogs are stolen fir hunting, breeding, desirable lap breeds and sadly even non pedigree dogs can be used for 'baiting' fighting digs... every dog should be protected and never left outside shops or walked by children. Dogs in law are treated in the same way as possessions rather than living beings so the sentences are light IF the perps ever make it to court. 🤬