Pet Theft- MUST Read!!

AKC Representatives made a special appearance on the TODAY show to warn pet owners about the alarming rise is PET THEFT!

Please read the following article and be careful!

The following article was posted April 10th, 2008 on the MSNBC website and linked to in an email bulletin sent out by AKC.org.

Pets as prey: The alarming rise in dognapping

Smart advice on how you can protect your canine companions from theft

As the value and profile of purebred and crossbred dogs are on the rise, so are incidents of dognapping. The theft of pet dogs was once a rare occurrence, but has become a specialized criminal enterprise. Like car thieves, dognappers tend to target specific types of dogs. Toy breeds such as Chihuahuas, Yorkshire terriers and Maltese are especially desirable to dognappers as they are in high demand and can fetch upward of $2,500.

According to American Kennel Club spokesperson Lisa Peterson, “The value of pets in people’s lives has been on the rise over the years, so thieves are trying to capitalize on this.” The AKC's 21st Century Dog Owners Study estimates that 88 percent of people think dogs are a member of the family. “Since animals are members of the family, thieves know people may pay a ransom,” says Peterson. “They may also steal them to use as breeding stock, but the monetary value of those pups would be greatly diminished since the dogs won't have AKC registration papers.”

An increasingly common ploy dognappers use is to pretend to be prospective buyers of puppies that have been advertised for sale. Breeders should be cautious of home visits by potential buyers. They should ask for detailed information and ID before allowing them into the home, and always have a friend or family member present.

Once a dog has been taken, the thief may wait for a reward to be posted before contacting the dog's owner and offering to return the dog. This may be done under the guise that they bought it from someone else and want to be compensated for the fee they paid. In cases such as this it is advisable to contact your local police before making arrangements.

Dog owners should take special care to prevent their canine companions from being vulnerable to theft:

• Never leave your dog unattended in a yard as it may become a potential target of dognappers.
• Keep gates and doors to your home locked.
• Never leave your dog unattended in the car, even if it is locked.  
• Never leave your dog tied up outside a store or restaurant.
• Protect your dog by making sure he is wearing ID tags and has a tattoo or microchip. A microchip is a permanent form of ID that is slightly larger than a grain of rice and is placed just under the skin by a veterinarian. It is encoded with an unalterable code that can be read with a scanner. This is one of the best ways to identify your pet and make it more likely to be recovered. For more information on microchips, go to www.akccar.org (the AKC Companion Animal Recovery program) and www.HomeAgain.com.
• When you take your dog for a walk, be sure to keep it on leash so it can't wander off.
• Be vigilant and aware of people watching you or your dog; stay in well-lit areas and keep a cell phone handy at all times.
• If someone approaches you to ask about your dog, don't divulge details, especially not the purchase price of your dog or where you live.
• If purchasing a dog via an advertisement, be careful you are not buying stolen goods. Ask for some proof of ownership, e.g., American Kennel Club registration papers, veterinary records or microchip registration.

If your dog has been stolen, post flyers with a current photo of the dog throughout your neighborhood and at local pet businesses such as veterinarians, pet stores, groomers and training schools. You can also list your lost dog online at www.DogDetective.com.

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PLEASE READ THE FOLLOWING ARTICLE IN THE AMERICAN KENNEL CLUB NEWSLETTER SENT OUT BY EMAIL 4/17/08

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AKC Cautions Pet Owners to Keep an Eye on Fido At Home and On the Road

The American Kennel Club® warned pet owners and breeders about an alarming rise in dog thefts in recent months and offered tips on keeping pets safe with an appearance on NBC’s Today Show earlier this month. From parking lots to pet stores and even backyards, more dogs are disappearing. In the first three months of 2008, the AKC has tracked more than 30 thefts from news and customer reports, versus only ten for all twelve months of 2007.

Media reports have chronicled the escalation of these “dog-nappings” from all around the country. Incidents have included armed robbers entering a breeder’s home, tiny puppies being stuffed into purses at pet stores and most recently, purebred pets being snatched from cars in parking lots and even shelters.

“The value of pets in people’s lives has been on the rise for a long time and now we are seeing thieves trying to capitalize on this. Whether they seek to resell the dog, collect a ransom or breed the dogs and sell their offspring, thieves seem to be attuned to the increased financial and emotional value pets have in our lives,” said AKC spokesperson Lisa Peterson. “Losing a treasured family pet is devastating to the owner.”

“Criminals look for weaknesses and exploit them. They know pets can’t protect themselves, so that means owners need to be alert,” said Lt. John Kerwick, a law enforcement K-9 handler and the President of the U.S. Police Canine Association, Region 7. “Be wary of anyone who approaches you and asks too many questions about your dog or where you live. This is a red flag that they may be out to snatch your pet.”

Peterson added that “These ‘dog-nappers’ are misguided and naïve. They’re stealing living beings, not jewelry that can be pawned. Plus, it’s unlikely that they can sell the dogs for high prices without proper registration papers, and these inept criminals are not realistically going to collect a ransom. Caring for a dog -- and especially breeding -- is a time consuming endeavor that requires a lot of knowledge. Thieves will find themselves with a frightened and confused animal that needs a lot of care.”

The AKC offers the following advice to prevent your “best friend” from being a target of a crime:

At Home

• Don’t let your dog off-leash – Keeping your dog close to you reduces the likelihood it will wander off and catch the attention of thieves. A Saint Bernard that had wandered away from his owner in Nebraska was snatched up right off the road.
• Don’t leave your dog unattended in your yard – Dogs left outdoors when no one is home for long periods of time can be potential targets, especially if you live in a rural area and the fenced-in yard or dog runs are visible from the street.
• Keep purchase price to yourself – If strangers approach you to admire your dog during walks, don’t answer questions about how much the dog cost or give details about where you live.
• Breeders need to be aware of home visits by potential puppy buyers – Criminals posing as would be “puppy buyers” have visited breeder homes to snatch dogs, while other homes have been burglarized when the owner was away. From Yorkies in Los Angeles to Bulldogs in Connecticut, thieves have targeted young puppies of these highly coveted breeds.

On the Road

• Never leave your dog in an unattended car, even if it’s locked – Even if you are gone for only a moment, an unlocked car is an invitation for trouble. Also leaving expensive items in the car such as a GPS unit or laptop will only invite thieves to break and possibly allow the dog to escape.
• Don’t tie your dog outside a store – This popular practice among city dwelling dog owners can be a recipe for disaster. Reports have surfaced of such thefts in Manhattan. If you need to go shopping, patronize only dog-friendly retailers or leave the dog at home.
• Be vigilant when entering or leaving establishments or venues catering to dogs such as grooming salons, veterinarians, doggie day care or hotels –Be aware of your surroundings, such as slow moving vehicles, or people watching you and your dog. Carry pepper spray as a precaution and, if possible, don’t walk alone late at night or stay in a well lit area.

Recovery

• Protect your dog with microchip identification – Collars and tags can be removed so make sure you have permanent ID with a microchip. Keep contact information current with your recovery service provider. Several pets have been recovered because of alert people scanning and discovering microchips. For more information and to enroll your pet in a 24 hour recovery service visit www.akccar.org.
• If you suspect your dog has been stolen – Immediately call the police / animal controlin the area your pet was last seen.
• Have fliers with a recent photo ready to go if your dog goes missing – Keep a photo of your dog in your wallet or on an easily accessible web account so that you can distribute immediately if your pet goes missing.