Dog thefts and prevention - Red Dog Spray

[Smitty]

Apologies, posted above by mistake but PL, 2 days ago a person on my town Facebook page said they were taking their dog out in the evening when two men stopped and asked questions about it. The person hurried back to their house but the next day found a splodge of grey paint on their front door which they reported to the police who said this was a deliberate mark and be vigillant. This is Somerset.

I have no idea of the validity of any of this.

 

[bonny]

Apologies, posted above by mistake but PL, 2 days ago a person on my town Facebook page said they were taking their dog out in the evening when two men stopped and asked questions about it. The person hurried back to their house but the next day found a splodge of grey paint on their front door which they reported to the police who said this was a deliberate mark and be vigillant. This is Somerset.

I have no idea of the validity of any of this.

My local Facebook page seems to have a lot of people posting about people trying to poison dogs and warning dog walkers where not to go.....it’s an unsafe world out there apparently!

 

[Smitty]

Sorry Skinnydipper, found the last para childishly funny as hadn't read it properly and thought you had mistyped that you were involved in burglaries 18 years ago ☺

 

[Smitty]

Yeah, my local Facebook much the same BUT are you dammned if you do and dammned if you dont take it on board just slightly?

I did have a dog go missing on a walk 11 years ago that I am sure was lured away and taken. It is something I have never gotten over and quite honestly would rather have false alarms than none at all.

 

[Birker2020]

Apologies, posted above by mistake but PL, 2 days ago a person on my town Facebook page said they were taking their dog out in the evening when two men stopped and asked questions about it. The person hurried back to their house but the next day found a splodge of grey paint on their front door which they reported to the police who said this was a deliberate mark and be vigillant. This is Somerset.

I have no idea of the validity of any of this.

Just don't get why you would want to alert someone to a potential theft. What is the purpose. Just write the address down or stick it in your phone surely. Why go to the trouble of marking a front door. Does the would be thief then walk along the street looking for a paint splodge on a door? It really doesn't make sense.

 

[blackcob]

I thought the Surrey Police post well balanced:

Dog thefts have been a hot topic on social media recently, so we wanted to address this issue with you here.

Throughout lockdown we have seen an increased demand for pets, particularly dogs. Google search results for "buy a puppy" increased by 115% since the beginning of lockdown, and this demand has led to a subsequent increase in prices. Sadly this means that criminals are stealing dogs to breed from or sell on for a profit, and this is true across the UK as a whole.

In Surrey, the number of reported dog thefts remains low. However, this may mean that there are thefts or attempted thefts that have not been reported to police. If you or someone you know has experienced or witnessed a dog theft or attempted dog theft, we need you to tell us.

If you want to share the information you have on social media, please make sure you have a police reference number; either a report number, or a call log number from when you reported it on the phone or online, and include that in your post.

Without reference numbers, there could appear to be more dog thefts than there actually are in reality. If you see information shared without a police reference number, please check that it was reported to us before passing the information on. If not, please encourage that person to do so.

It has also come to our attention that there are questions online regarding cable ties fastened to lampposts. This is something that other police forces have received queries about, and concerns that these are used as markers to indicate properties containing dogs. To our knowledge, there is no correlation between cable ties on lampposts and dog thieves. If you have any information contrary to that, please report it to us.

You can report any information you have about dog thefts to us via

• Webchat on our website
• Online - http://orlo.uk/vRutm
• Calling us on 101

Alternatively, if you do not wish to leave your name, please call the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

To protect your dogs from theft, we would recommend the following:

• Ensure your pet is microchipped and registered with up to date information. There are 15 pet microchip databases you can choose from that meet government standards, and you can find the list here: http://orlo.uk/mFoJ8
• Invest in a collar and name tag, but use your surname rather than your pet’s name on name tags. Include your telephone number so you can be easily contacted if your pet is found.
• Take plenty of clear photos of your pet (not hard for most animal lovers!). Remember to include any distinctive markings that could identify your pet.
• Don’t leave your dog unattended in the garden, the car or outside shops if at all possible.
• Review your social media security settings, and be careful with the details you share, especially when it comes to your pets, your location or your favourite walking spots.
• Pay attention to your surroundings and know where your dog is at all times when out walking. Be mindful of anyone trying to distract you or draw your dog’s attention away from you. If you feel that someone is following or watching you and your dog in a way that makes you feel uncomfortable, call police.
• We know that some dogs may live in kennels outside. Please ensure you make it as hard as possible for some to break in. Use multiple locks and have CCTV cameras covering the kennel as a deterrent.
• Ensure all gates are locked at top and bottom with a shoot bolt and padlock.
• Ensure gardens and yards are secure so that no one can gain entry or pull your dog out. Make sure fences and hedges are secure, with no gaps that a dog can squeeze through.
• Consider driveway alarms and CCTV – these can act as a visual as well as a physical deterrent.
• If you are concerned for your safety or that of your dog, we recommend investing in a personal safety alarm. Please do not carry anything that can be used as a weapon.

If your dog is stolen, call police on 999 or report it to us via our website:
http://orlo.uk/LIhWF

Notify your microchip database provider immediately and advise http://orlo.uk/Czbjq either via their website or Facebook page. They will offer help, support and advice.

 

[Smitty]

Just don't get why you would want to alert someone to a potential theft. What is the purpose. Just write the address down or stick it in your phone surely. Why go to the trouble of marking a front door. Does the would be thief then walk along the street looking for a paint splodge on a door? It really doesn't make sense.

I am going to sit on the fence here as I really don't know whether this is a 'marker' or not but Penny Less asked if there were any reports of this occurring on Facebook.

 

[skinnydipper]

Not all stolen dogs will be used for breeding and dog fighting. People are obviously buying stolen dogs and puppies for work or pet.

Perhaps more guidance and advice could be given to prospective buyers about what questions they should ask before purchase, red flags they should look out for.

 

[GSD Woman]

You know, we do have dog thefts here in the USA but it seems like you all are going through a huge spike in thefts. I never thought that we would have an advantage over the UK. There are cases here of people posing as puppy buyers and stealing dams and the litter but not like what you all are going through.

 

[Penny Less]

Two of my local doggie people have personal alarm wrist bands, and say get your dog a chain lead, they are cutting the leads now !
I know its daft but its making me look suspiciously at people now !

ETA with regard to the cable ties on lamposts, one has appeared in my road! Cant think of an alternative reason for this yet

 

[Birker2020]

Two of my local doggie people have personal alarm wrist bands, and say get your dog a chain lead, they are cutting the leads now !
I know its daft but its making me look suspiciously at people now !

ETA with regard to the cable ties on lamposts, one has appeared in my road! Cant think of an alternative reason for this yet

Not just a chain lead but a screw carabiner also as they are unclipping the leads. It's totally impractical really. But it's what they advise. Which also means that you can't clip your chain lead to the carabiner, or it's a waste of time as they would just unclip that, so you would have to put one of the links from the chain lead through the carabiner instead, and that might be hard if the link is small and the carabiner big. It's a lot of faff to organise all this, but if it helps to save your dog, it's worth it.

 

[CorvusCorax]

There's a segment on The One Show about dog theft tonight.

 

[Clodagh]

There's a segment on The One Show about dog theft tonight.

Can you summarise? I really dislike the presenters ?

 

[CorvusCorax]

Can you summarise? I really dislike the presenters ?

No, I'm not watching either lol, although I love Rylan. I just don't like magazine shows. Saw it trailed before turning over.

 

[Clodagh]

No, I'm not watching either lol, although I love Rylan. I just don't like magazine shows. Saw it trailed before turning over.

You are no help!

 

[Michen]

Can you carry one of those lemon shaped containers of lemon juice? It would hurt to get that in the eyes and should stop a thief long enough that you could get away.
I have to admit that the difference in self-protection products between the UK and the USA boggles me at times. I'm not saying arm yourself to the teeth but I can buy pepper spray or Mace if I feel it necessary to protect myself. In my state, as long as someone has one foot in my house or attempting to get that same foot in through a window allows me to use a fire arm or knife to protect myself.

I for one am glad fire arms aren’t quite so legal here ?

 

[Michen]

.

 

[KastLove]

It's understandable if someone wants to steal a dog, but I have a very strange story to tell. My friend loves to spend her time at home with snakes, she literally has a big zoo in her house with different types of snakes. Unfortunately, she had some financial problems and had to sell some of her snakes and other animals.

So, she found a guy from the internet who was willing to buy a snake for a little price. When they met, he just sprayed in her eyes with smth and stole a freakin' snake! Why would anyone steal a snake??? And that happened not once as I noticed. You can see this page to find other stories about animals thefts. That's insane tbh.