Last week I wrote about the problem we had with Butch bolting out the door because of a freak series of events. This week I want to write a bit about Dog Theft. What made me think of this is the possibility that someone would have picked up Butch and realized what a sweet little guy he is especially since he was shivering and out in the rain. It would have been easy to just take him home and keep him. Luckily we got him back and have taken steps to prevent it from happening again. Now, when Butch is in "his element" he is not such an easy target as anyone even coming near "his turf"  gets an earful from him and steers clear of him.  At 25 pounds, with his attitude toward strangers, and a face full of teeth he is a borderline target but still a target nonetheless. Being that he is never usually anywhere without me when we are in the yard and rarely out of view, I don't worry about it too much where I live, but unfortunately it still has to be a concern if I want to be a diligent "Dog Dad!"

 

Most dogs that are stolen from homes and out of yards are of the smaller breed types and are usually purebred as thieves think they can make some money either selling or breeding a particular dog.  Some of the more unsavory characters that steal dogs already have dogs that are used for fighting and are looking for a bait dog to train the fighting dogs. In which case the breed being stolen does not matter as much as size, which makes just about any dog of a reasonable size a target for thieves. Rescue operations around the country that kennel dogs often report being broken into and dogs missing...depending on the area, the local police can usually guess where they have ended up.

 

There are many items that can help you keep your pet safe from theft but they all boil down to exercising some good old common sense. Don't leave your pet outside when you are not home - Don't leave them in a parked car if you can't take them into the store with you - Try to find places to shop that are pet friendly - this list is long but there are particular things that are unique to your situation that you should define for yourself. Try to think about the situation BEFORE you put your dog into that situation. Just like training your puppy to be well behaved, monitoring their health, watching what you feed them, you must take the time to think about what you would do in the event of an emergency which includes the possibility that Rover might be stolen one day.

 

Just like it only took one split second for Butch to bolt out the door last week, it only takes a split second for your best friend to be led or carried away by a stranger. If you think it could not happen to you, take just one minute to think about how you, your family, or your kids would feel on the very first night you are without your furry friend safely sleeping at the foot of your bed or what you will feel like staring at an empty dog bed in the corner. If that doesn't make your lip quiver a bit then you better get some goldfish instead!

 

As usual the AKC has some great information on how to prevent your dog from being stolen. Use their article as a start and apply it to your situation! Warm weather months are prime theft months so be diligent, think ahead, but don't stress about it, and don't forget to have some fun! Check out the AKC article on Dog Theft Here!