The phrase dognapping might conjure up the thought of a sweet, innocent puppy curled up on a soft blanket, catching some zzzzz’s. But there is a more sinister meaning behind this phrase as well, and it’s becoming more and more common. It is the terrifying act in which your dog is stolen in return for ransom money or a re-homing fee. It’s turning into a common way for unscrupulous people to make a little extra cash—especially with the value of purebred and designer breeds valued at upwards of $2,000. Dogs can then be sold to laboratories for experimental purposes, to dog fighters to be used as bait dogs.
How does dognapping happen?
Some happen during home break-ins, or while your 4 legged friend is enjoying a little fresh air in the yard. Thieves often strike at more opportunistic moments though that require less work – when you leave your dog tied up outside of Starbucks while you run in for a quick cup of coffee, or in your car while you’re in the post office dropping off a return to Amazon.
How can you prevent dognapping?
As much as we love running errands with our dogs, it’s best to leave them at home where they are most comfortable. Your dog probably doesn’t really want to go to Home Depot anyway. She’d rather stay home and watch Animal Planet on her blanket. Microchipping is also effective in reuniting you with a lost or stolen pet. It’s equally important to keep the microchip information current and up to date if you move or change your phone number. Also, the most obvious line of defense is the basic collar and tags, in case your dog decides to go off on a little joy ride of her own. Your neighborhood will know who she is, where she belongs, and how to get in touch with you. My dog’s tag listed her name, my phone number, and the fact that she is microchipped. Any veterinarian’s office, animal shelter, or animal control can scan for a microchip, making a happy reunion much more likely!
I also highly recommend getting an Air Tag or Pawscout as an extra layer of security for your dog (or cat). It is a small GPS style tracker that clips to your pet’s collar, and has many great features. Pawscout’s App makes it easy to enlist local pet lovers in the search for a lost pet, and the Bluetooth-enabled tag alerts users when a lost pet is nearby. This great device costs only $20 and can be found at major retail stores.
So what do you do if your pet goes missing?
- Call every animal shelter within a 50 mile radius of your home and stop by each shelter daily, if possible. If you believe your dog was stolen, alert your local police too.
- Drive around your neighborhood. Sometimes dogs just wander off to the neighbor’s yard, but if your dog was stolen, there’s always a chance a neighbor saw an unfamiliar person in the area.
- Hand out flyers with a photo and information to mailmen and delivery people in the event they see something on their route. Then go out and post flyers everywhere – local coffee shops, grocery stores, light poles, etc. Include a photo with a list of descriptive characteristics, but be sure to leave a few details out. In the event someone finds your dog, it’s important to have them name the missing characteristics to confirm they do indeed have your dog and aren’t trying to scam you for money.
- Check Facebook neighborhood lost pet sites – it’s often the first place people turn when an untagged dog shows up at their front door.
If you’re like me, you consider your dog priceless, or like a child to you. So doesn’t it make sense that we should treat them as such? Do your part to prevent dognapping!
