All these dogs being stolen...

Vindaloo

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This is totally Facebook driven...

I am seeing posts every day of stolen or missing dogs, in fact the latest was of multiple dogs stolen from an address.

I've been out of the UK for the last four and a half years and am utterly gob smacked at the level of dog thefts/losses etc what the hell is going on?

Are these dogs wandering off? Are they stolen from gardens? I can't see how it can happen. No one in their right mind would steal mine but I can see the appeal of a female pedigree I guess, but equally, we don't let them out of our sight do we?
 

GinaB

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It's not pedigrees they're after. Any dog will do as bait :(

Most commonly being stolen fr gardens, if left unattended outside shops and out of cars. It's heartbreaking. I'd be devastated if mine were taken.
 

Kaylum

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Well last month two men tried to take a woman's dog she was walking, she kicked one of the men and luckily the dog got away. It was in the local news. It was a westie cross
 

Gowlane Bluebell

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I am convinced my Greyhound was nearly taken from our large garden last Sunday. It was -4 outside, and I saw a highly suspicious van going very slowly along the lane. BUT the driver had the window down, and was really gawping into the whole garden.
It then reversed up REALLY slowly, and tried to ''hide'' where we have tree's at our top gate.

I watched, from my kitchen and lounge, and then got the binoculars and managed to get the number plate.

They were there about 10 minutes. What TOTALLY freaked me out, is that they were watching ME with binoculars. They were obviously checking out security lighting / alarms.

I went out there, having written down the van make and number plate, and asked them what they were up to. They said they had seen a bullfinch and were bird watching!!! ( Inserts bullsh11 smiley )

I am in the Lincolnshire wolds. The van was a Silver high top Transit with number plate BAZ 6552. I reported it to the police who gave me an incident number.

Facebook does do good in some ways, but it does create hysteria, and I only share dogs once I've looked at an original post.
Some dogs are escaping, or running off, but there are dogs who are being stolen.
 

Clodagh

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Our local copper tells us it is since the scrap for cash stopped, the people who used to get a nice income from that now steal dogs.
 

bonny

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I am convinced my Greyhound was nearly taken from our large garden last Sunday. It was -4 outside, and I saw a highly suspicious van going very slowly along the lane. BUT the driver had the window down, and was really gawping into the whole garden.
It then reversed up REALLY slowly, and tried to ''hide'' where we have tree's at our top gate.

I watched, from my kitchen and lounge, and then got the binoculars and managed to get the number plate.

They were there about 10 minutes. What TOTALLY freaked me out, is that they were watching ME with binoculars. They were obviously checking out security lighting / alarms.

I went out there, having written down the van make and number plate, and asked them what they were up to. They said they had seen a bullfinch and were bird watching!!! ( Inserts bullsh11 smiley )

I am in the Lincolnshire wolds. The van was a Silver high top Transit with number plate BAZ 6552. I reported it to the police who gave me an incident number.

Facebook does do good in some ways, but it does create hysteria, and I only share dogs once I've looked at an original post.
Some dogs are escaping, or running off, but there are dogs who are being stolen.

There are 100's maybe 1000's of greyhounds being destroyed every year after they finish racing as there are no homes for them. They have no value and apart from a lucky few will not get to be someone's pet. Why would anyone want to steal yours ? All facebook is doing is spreading paranoia, dogs do wander off or get lost but I don't believe for a moment that there are men driving round in vans looking for dogs to steal.
 

FionaM12

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There are 100's maybe 1000's of greyhounds being destroyed every year after they finish racing as there are no homes for them. They have no value and apart from a lucky few will not get to be someone's pet. Why would anyone want to steal yours ? All facebook is doing is spreading paranoia, dogs do wander off or get lost but I don't believe for a moment that there are men driving round in vans looking for dogs to steal.

I agree. The van driver could have been checking out the property for dubious purposes, but why would it be the dog, which is of no value?

Mind you, they'd have to be rubbish crooks, being so obvious and hanging about to chat. Bullfinches are pretty rare now. ;)

I run a charity dog Fb group and we have lots of lost/found posts. Many of the dogs believed to be stolen (& posted about everywhere..) turn up later having just wandered off.
 

Gowlane Bluebell

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There are 100's maybe 1000's of greyhounds being destroyed every year after they finish racing as there are no homes for them. They have no value and apart from a lucky few will not get to be someone's pet. Why would anyone want to steal yours ? All facebook is doing is spreading paranoia, dogs do wander off or get lost but I don't believe for a moment that there are men driving round in vans looking for dogs to steal.

Well I'm glad you're so convinced they were '' bird watching''!! I don't just have one Greyhound, but the one they were after looks very much like a collie cross. And she's not an old dog.
I think that you would change your mind abruptly had it happened to you.
 

Equi

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Personally i think that dog fighting and baiting and general animal cruelty has risen lately. Maybe due to the fact there is so little done about it (people walk free for it without even a fine) and the fact there is so much money to be gained from it.
 

FionaM12

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Personally i think that dog fighting and baiting and general animal cruelty has risen lately. Maybe due to the fact there is so little done about it (people walk free for it without even a fine) and the fact there is so much money to be gained from it.

Do you have evidence of that or is it just from internet/news stories? Genuine question, I'd be very interested to know if anyone's got any figures. :)
 

Equi

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Do you have evidence of that or is it just from internet/news stories? Genuine question, I'd be very interested to know if anyone's got any figures. :)

Just from the amount of news stories and from what i know through rescues and the like. Figures would be interesting, i would love to know how many people were accused of abuse but got away scot free!
 

bonny

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Just from the amount of news stories and from what i know through rescues and the like. Figures would be interesting, i would love to know how many people were accused of abuse but got away scot free!

Back to the facebook sharing leading to paranoia !
 

bonny

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The dog fighters are also targeting the free to a good home adverts, to get bait dogs.

The amount you see on Preloved is shocking :(

All of this is just guessing, I doubt anyone has ever advertised saying they wanted a bait dog ! There are lots of free dogs available but that only shows how many people buy a dog without thinking of the consequences. At the end of the day, if you want a free dog for dubious reasons there are a lot out there without resorting to driving around in a van looking for someone's pet to steal !
 

Equi

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All of this is just guessing, I doubt anyone has ever advertised saying they wanted a bait dog ! There are lots of free dogs available but that only shows how many people buy a dog without thinking of the consequences. At the end of the day, if you want a free dog for dubious reasons there are a lot out there without resorting to driving around in a van looking for someone's pet to steal !

She means that the baiters look for the free to good home dogs, not advertise for them. And they are usually mutts, which is why they still need to scout about for dogs.
 

Smitty

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I run a charity dog Fb group and we have lots of lost/found posts. Many of the dogs believed to be stolen (& posted about everywhere..) turn up later having just wandered off.[/QUOTE]

How fortunate.

There are 100's maybe 1000's of greyhounds being destroyed every year after they finish racing as there are no homes for them. They have no value and apart from a lucky few will not get to be someone's pet. Why would anyone want to steal yours ? All facebook is doing is spreading paranoia, dogs do wander off or get lost but I don't believe for a moment that there are men driving round in vans looking for dogs to steal.

Not always in vans I grant you, sometimes cars, sometimes mopeds ... But then I spent a couple of years glued to Dog lost.

I have never adopted a greyhound, but I would imagine that the trainers are having to be more careful these days with the 'disposal' of the retirees or those that have not made the grade.

Nearly 5 years ago now, bath cats and dogs home was broken into and 4 lurchers were stolen. I believe one was recovered during a rraid on a site a couple of weeks later, one according to a policeman I spoke to (because I was searching high and low for my terrier whom I believed and still to this day do, to be stolen) had a speed trial the next day and was straight on the boat to Ireland afterwards (where they are overrun with lurchers in rescue) and to my knowledge the others were never recovered.

Another lurcher was stolen from a garden in my area at around the same time and spotted by an amazing person 40 miles or so away, a couple of months later, who recognised it from dog lost, despite the fact its hair had been cut and dyed a different colour!

Lurchers are low value dogs and there are a lot in rescue.

A couple a few miles way from me lost their terrier on the river bank just as I did a few days after me. We liaised for a few days until they got theirs back - it had gone from their view and a lady picked it up and took it home for her son where it slept on his bed for about a week until all the publicity and posters became a bit too much.

Just last week a 16yo terrier got out of its garden in Newport and was later found dead in a ditch with all its feet taped together.

Basically, I believe that ANY dog has a value, be it bait dog, breeder, designer pet or sporting, and there are plenty of people out there, and always have been, who are prepared to procure them illegally and dispose of for profit, no matter how small.


IMO we should all be prepared for the day our animals go missing and have a decent description together with good clear photos for ID purposes. A microchip and tag don't always ensure your pets return.
 

Gowlane Bluebell

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I run a charity dog Fb group and we have lots of lost/found posts. Many of the dogs believed to be stolen (& posted about everywhere..) turn up later having just wandered off.

How fortunate.



Not always in vans I grant you, sometimes cars, sometimes mopeds ... But then I spent a couple of years glued to Dog lost.

I have never adopted a greyhound, but I would imagine that the trainers are having to be more careful these days with the 'disposal' of the retirees or those that have not made the grade.

Nearly 5 years ago now, bath cats and dogs home was broken into and 4 lurchers were stolen. I believe one was recovered during a rraid on a site a couple of weeks later, one according to a policeman I spoke to (because I was searching high and low for my terrier whom I believed and still to this day do, to be stolen) had a speed trial the next day and was straight on the boat to Ireland afterwards (where they are overrun with lurchers in rescue) and to my knowledge the others were never recovered.

Another lurcher was stolen from a garden in my area at around the same time and spotted by an amazing person 40 miles or so away, a couple of months later, who recognised it from dog lost, despite the fact its hair had been cut and dyed a different colour!

Lurchers are low value dogs and there are a lot in rescue.

A couple a few miles way from me lost their terrier on the river bank just as I did a few days after me. We liaised for a few days until they got theirs back - it had gone from their view and a lady picked it up and took it home for her son where it slept on his bed for about a week until all the publicity and posters became a bit too much.

Just last week a 16yo terrier got out of its garden in Newport and was later found dead in a ditch with all its feet taped together.

Basically, I believe that ANY dog has a value, be it bait dog, breeder, designer pet or sporting, and there are plenty of people out there, and always have been, who are prepared to procure them illegally and dispose of for profit, no matter how small.


IMO we should all be prepared for the day our animals go missing and have a decent description together with good clear photos for ID purposes. A microchip and tag don't always ensure your pets return.[/QUOTE]

Well said Smitty. Anyone who disbelieves my / anyone's Lurcher or Greyhound is not worth stealing needs to wake up. They will be used to course hares illegally for matches and betting. I'd rather be vigilant, and highly suspicious of an Irish number plated strange van with occupants watching me with binoculars, than living in a bubble of those who don't believe!
 

FionaM12

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p

Basically, I I'd rather be vigilant, and highly suspicious of an Irish number plated strange van with occupants watching me with binoculars, than living in a bubble of those who don't believe!

"Irish number plates"? Why? Because Irish people are more likely to be thieves?

I don't think anyone's claiming dog theft and cruelty doesn't exist, and isn't awful for those affected. I think the discussion was about whether they are on the increase or was that just a bit of an internet myth. :)
 

druid

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Just to point out the Irish number plate thing is a complete red herring these days as with the new dvla database NI cars no longer get a new reg when bought on to the mainland permanently. I drive a NI car in east anglia and don't plan on stealing any dogs (in fact I have a double locked dog box to prevent my gundogs being pinched!)
 

planete

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Message sent by Deborah Holman (Police, Sgt, Hampshire Country Watch)
Between 1645 and 2045 hours yesterday, 01/01/15 New Year's day, two black working cocker spaniels were stolen from their kennels on private land in the Beaulieu area. They are both black bitches with white on their chest area, one is 7 years old the the other 3 years old. If you should get offered these dogs or see them being offered for sale, or if you should see anything suspicious which may help our investigations please contact us on 101 and quote reference 4415000946

The above happened just over a week ago, obviously not a FB scare. Two lurchers were stolen when thieves broke into their kennels two miles away from us before Christmas. I do not remember hearing of dog thefts locally ten years ago. I can't speak for the rest of the country of course.
 

FionaM12

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Message sent by Deborah Holman (Police, Sgt, Hampshire Country Watch)
Between 1645 and 2045 hours yesterday, 01/01/15 New Year's day, two black working cocker spaniels were stolen from their kennels on private land in the Beaulieu area. They are both black bitches with white on their chest area, one is 7 years old the the other 3 years old. If you should get offered these dogs or see them being offered for sale, or if you should see anything suspicious which may help our investigations please contact us on 101 and quote reference 4415000946

The above happened just over a week ago, obviously not a FB scare. Two lurchers were stolen when thieves broke into their kennels two miles away from us before Christmas. I do not remember hearing of dog thefts locally ten years ago. I can't speak for the rest of the country of course.

I remember dog thefts 10 years ago :( I don't think they got much media attention though, and of course there were no online police reports or Facebook.
 
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