Dog Theft…Could This Happen To You?

Purebred dogs are often targets for pet theft.  The Australian Labradoodle puppies being born now are 9^th generation Australian Labradoodles and are considered “Purebred”, thieves are quickly learning the dollar value of these much sought out gems…   Learn how to protect your dog from the hands of thieves.

Most victims of pet theft are taken completely by surprise.  A small dog is lifted over the fence in its own backyard; a large dog is taken from a car while the owner dashes inside a store.  Even adoption centers have reported cases of people grabbing puppies and bolting out the door.

According to the American Kennel Club, the number of reported pet thefts in early 2008 was almost three times higher than usual.  Often, actual numbers are difficult to pinpoint because pet theft typically falls under the general category of property theft.

What drives a person to steal a dog?  In most cases, dog thieves are after a financial incentive, particularly with purebreds.   Sometimes there’s a black market, there’s such a need for a specific breed.  The thief will track the dog down and steal it, knowing they’ll be able to sell it.  Others are using the dogs in puppy mills to breed them and make money from the litter.

Regardless of the reason, pet theft is a heartbreaking crime that owners can take action to avoid.  The most effective thing people can do is microchip their dog.  A microchip is a tiny chip injected under the dog’s skin between the shoulders.  The chip contains contact information that can be read by a scanner.  A thief will rapidly dispose of a dog’s collar, so a permanent method of identification can be the key in recovering your dog.  Any dogs that are purchased from Australian Labradoodles Midwest Connection are microchipped with a universal chip at 5 weeks of age.  The chip has a correlating number that when scanned traces back to a data base that has the orwners contact information, which then allows a match to be made with the dog to the owner.  Our dogs also go home with a tag that is worn on the pups collar which identifies each pup in the same way.  This tag has the phone number of the company that houses the database on all our dogs, so if someone found your dog they could just call the company listed on the tag, read them the ID number on the tag and a match would be made...no scanner needed in this case!  The universal chip we use at Australian Labradoodles Midwest Connection is the type of chip that all veterinary clinics and humane societies’ scanners can read; this would include scanners used in Europe, Australia, Asia, Canada, as well as the United States.  Some chips used by other breeders are only readable by certain scanners.   A microchip would provide strong evidence of ownership in court, should you fall into a dispute.  It is advised to use both a microchip and a collar, however, if your dog is friendly and responds when called by name, print your family’s last name, rather than the dog’s name on its ID tag.

IF YOUR DOG IS STOLEN…

Immediate action can thwart a thief’s progress.  If your dog is stolen, contact the local police and file a police report, which can help if an ownership dispute arises.  Provide the police a clear photo of the dog, description and microchip information.

Talk to people in the area where you last saw your dog.  If your dog was taken from a parking lot, check with local businesses to see if any video surveillance is in place.  Use the internet, emailing a number of people in your subdivision and asking them to forward on your “lost puppy” flyer to people that are local to them will quickly get the word out.  Contact your local media and your local humane society.   Get your dog’s photo and information out there as quickly as possible.  Flood the area.  A story about a stolen dog will always catch the public’s attention, and the more people aware of your story, the more likely someone will have information.

High publicity can also convince the thief to return your dog.  In many cases, these thieves don’t realize the extent of their crime—this IS GRAND THEFT!  The high publicity may bring him in.  Posting a flyer with your dog’s photo and contact information is still one of the best ways to spread the news.  Hang it in high-traffic areas, particularly where children pass by; children are more likely than adults to notice dogs.

Pay a reward or not?

Most owners will gladly part with money if it means the safe return of their dog.  But offering a reward should be a careful decision.  Most good Samaritans will be happy to reunite a pet with its family, regardless of monetary gain.  Many experts think that offering a reward only pertetuates the problem; a thief can easily pose as the dog's finder to pocket some cash.