Pet theft is on the rise and has been taking place more and more all over the world for many reasons. Finding that your pet has been stolen is devastating and heart-breaking. There are a few things that you can to do try to prevent this from happening to your dog.
Reasons
Before we discuss what can be done, we need to understand why our pets are being stolen, as this can help us to prevent possible theft.
- One of the main reasons why pets are stolen is for money. Thieves look for the ‘cuteness’ factor in pets, like adorable puppies, and then sell these pets on street corners, where they know the animals will draw attention. They might even tell potential buyers that they rescued the puppy, and come up with some sad story.
- Criminals also steal purebred dogs and try to sell them on social media or in mainstream media. Normally, they will ask much less for the dog than what the market value is. They might even go as far as to breed with the dogs that they steal.
- The theft of power breeds is also increasing. Power breeds include Rottweilers, Bull Terriers, Boerboels and Dobermanns. These dogs are mainly stolen to be used in dog fights, where people bet on a certain dog. As cruel as this sounds to pet owners, it is a reality in the underworld of criminals.
- Sweet and loving dogs are also stolen. Criminals use these dogs as bait when training other dogs for dog fights.
Modus operandi
Jerry Selwane, founder of the Soweto Animal Rescue and Advisory Centre (SARAC), says that there are syndicates who are involved in dog theft. “The culprits force youngsters to steal dogs and then force the animals to fight with each other, and they are very sneaky in the way they do it.
“They target youngsters, and they look for children who walk their own dogs in a neighbourhood, as these children are obviously good with dogs. The kingpins befriend the children over time, and once they are friends, and are trusted, they force the children to use their own dogs in fights. Once the children are fighting their own dogs, the kingpins send the children out on the streets to steal other dogs,” explains Jerry.
He says that the guilty parties are clever in that they never keep any of the stolen dogs, or dogs used for fighting, on their own premises. They might have a well-looked-after family pet on the premises, which means that there is no evidence against that person.
“The culprits live all over South Africa, even in affluent suburbs such as Sandton. But they mainly infiltrate township communities, as they are under the impression that it is easier to target children from these communities,” says Jerry. But it is not only children who steal dogs – many adults also take part in the criminal activities.
Prevention
There are a couple of things that dog owners can do to protect their pets from theft.
- Microchip Although it can’t prevent your dog from being stolen, it proves that the dog is yours.
- Sleep inside If your dog sleeps inside at night, he is not as vulnerable as a dog who is all alone outside. Criminals only need a few minutes to steal a dog, and it might be too late by the time you wake up after hearing some sort of commotion.
- Out of sight Keep your dog where he can’t be seen from the street. And be careful what you post on social media.
- Secured property Make sure that criminals can’t gain easy access to your property. If it is too difficult to get in, they will rather look for other, easier targets.
- No treats Teach your dog from early on not take any treats from strangers.
- Supervised Don’t leave your dog unsupervised anywhere – never on his own in the car (that is just cruel) and also not running around in a public park without a leash.
- Reputable pet sitter Get references from several people before you make use of a pet sitter.
Keep him safe
Always know where your dog is, just as you would do with your children. Not only can dogs get into trouble if left alone, but they could also get stolen. Don’t let your dog become another statistic.
