Since police reports don't make a distinction between pet theft and other property theft in the United States, there's no way to get accurate approximations of the numbers of missing pets according to the U.S. Canine Association. The AKC reported that in the first five months of 2008, there were three times as many dog thefts as from the previous year.
Missing Pets at Holiday Times
Many pets disappear around Valentine's Day, Easter, Christmas and other holidays to be given as gifts. Halloween is a time when black or white cats are often snatched for more sinister reasons. Pets may also be sold any time of the year to research labs for use in animal experimentation.
It's a way for some pet lovers and breeders to acquire purebreds at half the cost or less. However, the petnappers don't have any AKC papers to provide to the buyers when they sell the animals. This is a dead-give-away that the animal was probably stolen.
Protecting Your Pets
Most families regard their dogs and cats as members of the family. One way to protect these pets is to have them neutered or spayed. Potential pet-mill breeders are less likely to make off with neutered dogs and cats since they are worthless for breeding. However ransom is a possibility for pet thieves. Pet owners in affluent areas are likely to offer rewards or pay large ransom sums for their little ones.
According to the AKC, the most likely pets to be taken are young purebred puppies and toy breeds. They report that Yorkshire terriers, poodles, Pomeranians, Shih Tzu's, bulldogs, and corgis are popular targets.
Laws Related to Petknapping
In most states, the animal's value determines whether a pet theft qualifies as a felony or just a misdemeanor. If the animal is worth less than $500, it's a misdemeanor. But if the value exceeds $1000, the theft qualifies as a felony.
Always report a theft to police and animal control as soon as it happens. Two internet sites that attempt to reunite missing dogs and their owners are: Fido Finder and K9 Amber Alert.
Tips on Protecting Your Pet
MSNBC has posted a series of tips on protecting your pet.
- Don't leave your dog alone in the yard for long periods, especially if it's visible from the street.
- If strangers approach you with admiring comments about your dog, don't share information about his cost or where you live.
- Report a theft to police and animal control as soon as it happens.
- Keep a current photo of your pet so you can make flyers or posters immediately and post the photo on web sites as well as around the neighborhood.
- If possible, hold back some kind of descriptive information about your pet so you can sort out crank calls from serious ones.
- Microchip your cats and dogs, and keep microchip registration information up to date so that shelters and veterinarians can contact you if your pet is found. A microchip also serves as proof that an animal belongs to you.
- A tattoo on the inner thigh is a permanent way of identifying your dog if the tatoo is registered with a tracking organization such as National Dog Registry.
- Consider GPS for your pet. New GPS collars allow owners to set up a safety zone. If the pet strays beyond it, an alert goes out as e-mail and text messages. The collars have potential for tracing missing dogs, but they're expensive at $129.99 and up. They can be removed by someone who finds the dog and decides to keep it.
It's also a good idea to be aware of the local news. If pets are disappearing in your neighborhood, you need to know about it. For the most part, our pets are innocent, friendly little critters who will easily take up with almost anyone who offers them treats or reaches out to play with them. It's up to us to protect them.
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