Missing

Being as engrossed as I am in the world of pets, I seem to see/hear about a different dog theft scheme every day. Fortunately, many of these turn out to be hoax stories, created by some attention seeker who wants to get the tale shared and retweeted as much as possible.

One of the schemes which does crop up quite regularly is the ‘sticker’ or paint scheme, where people in some UK counties have reported finding coloured stickers or daubs of paint on their gates, fences and/or walls. It’s reported that the stickers or paint daubs are an indicator for thieves as to how many dogs reside in that property. Many comments on these news stories claim this is a hoax story, but the police in these areas have confirmed the existence of the stickers or paint daubs.

There are so many confirmed cases of dog theft nowadays, that you MUST be vigilant as an owner. It’s a really sad world we live in when dogs have to be watched like children, but that is unfortunately the world we now live in and I’d rather be safe than sorry.

In the horrible event that you ever realise your pet is missing, you should take the following steps as soon as possible;

• If your pet is microchipped, remember to report it as soon as you possibly can on Petlog.
• If your dog is snatched try to take photographs of any vehicles used in the crime. Write down as much info as you can straight away.
• Contact the police immediately.
• Contact friends and start an immediate search of the area.
• Consider areas where you think thieves might take your pet.
• The quicker you act now the better the chance you have of getting back your pet.
• Put message out on Facebook including an image of your pet. Tell your friends to share. Tweet too.
• If you have not done already activate your pet's chip details on DogLost.co.uk and visit their site for help and information. It may also be helpful in install the doglost.co.uk android app for your phone or tablet.
• Put a poster up in your police station - maybe one of the police officers will see it and recognise your pet.
• Click here for a list of council dog wardens. It is worth calling them as hopefully thieves might dump your dog if they are worried about getting caught.
• Post details on Petlog lost and found facebook

Source: www.pettheft.co.uk