Purebred Thefts on the Rise! (and in the news)

If you’ve ever had a dog run away or even worse, stolen, then you know the heartache that comes with that feels beyond repair… I’m sure any pet owner would agree that it is certainly as hard as losing your own child. There are more and more reports of stolen dogs, especially purebreds, and also commonly in urban areas.

Unfortunately, due to the economic downturn and many people strapped for money, dog thefts, and more so, purebred dog thefts, are on the rise, especially the ones that are most popular at the top of the AKC highest registration list, such as French bulldogs, Labradors, and Golden retrievers–because people can sell them as brokers on the black market and on the open market. I’ve also heard many complaints of people who had their dog stolen and still don’t know where they are. One person even found out who had taken their dog and were in the middle of an investigation. I even watched a gentleman grab a pet dog while somebody was walking it and he threw it right into a van and took off. All of this was very disconcerting to me and I felt that I should post this blog.

Purebred dogs can bring thousands of dollars to people who are hurting for money and are desperate. So guard your dogs, and be situationally aware when you’re in public or in secluded areas.

We have been hearing so much in the last year how there has been a rampant rise in thefts among purebred Labradors, chocolates seeming to be the highest instances.  Perhaps this is because as we’ve stated before, quality chocolate labs are hard to find!  Still, it’s sickening to think someone would steal one of these babies from their home or owner…

We HIGHLY recommend micro-chipping your dogs to at least HELP curb the possibility that your dog would be gone forever… All of our dogs are microchipped.  Someone can easily take off a collar with your address on it but if the dog ends up at a shelter or vet’s office they can easily identify your information on the microchip.  This actually happened to me once!  Someone had purchased a dog from me but my information was still on the microchip at the time.  I got a call from the location that the dog was brought to and they were able to easily identify me with a few simple questions and Megan was able to get back to her home! 🙂  Best feeling ever…

Ask your vet for their recommendation of what brand of microchip to use for your dog.