Owner Of Dogs, Beware! (rescue, adopted, kennel, neutered)

[RUBIES77]

THERE IS A NEW THREAT toward dogs in many cities across the CONUS, and recently happened in NY and NJ. Dogs are being stolen from cars specifically for ramsom and to use them on dogfights. So owners, beware, and protect your pets,

[ArkLexee]

Geeeze! what are they doing in cars in the first place???

We had uniformed people coming into back yards here in Hot Springs, taking dogs out of fenced yards and doing who knows what with them a few years ago. Rumor had it, they were being sold or used for med exp. but no one knows for sure.

We've been told that the northern part of the U.S. has very stringent laws regarding neutering and spaying . They have a need for pets and some of our county rescues have been loaded up by the humane assoc here and taken there for good homes. That could be where the market for stolen pets comes in also. There's not always a way for potential owners to know where a dog or cat comes from.

I'm always on guard. The meter reader man thinks I'm nuts.

[kelly3120]

Originally Posted by ArkLexee

Geeeze! what are they doing in cars in the first place???

We had uniformed people coming into back yards here in Hot Springs, taking dogs out of fenced yards and doing who knows what with them a few years ago. Rumor had it, they were being sold or used for med exp. but no one knows for sure.

We've been told that the northern part of the U.S. has very stringent laws regarding neutering and spaying . They have a need for pets and some of our county rescues have been loaded up by the humane assoc here and taken there for good homes. That could be where the market for stolen pets comes in also. There's not always a way for potential owners to know where a dog or cat comes from.

I'm always on guard. The meter reader man thinks I'm nuts.

Good point! I never leave our guy in the car .thats just a way to create separation anxiety for him.You leave your dog in a car around here ...someone(authorities) will break into the car and charges will be pressed against you for animal cruelty ..as it is to Damn hot in FL!!!

I think its so weird that people steal others companions. Its so personal you know?

[dreamhunter65]

Just think some people think I am nuts to have gun locks on my kennel door and deck door so make harder to get to them.

[cleosmom]

As if we didn't have enough trouble with wolves north of here getting dogs, we've also had a rash of stolen dogs in Idaho and Montana.

[riveree]

Originally Posted by ArkLexee

We've been told that the northern part of the U.S. has very stringent laws regarding neutering and spaying . They have a need for pets and some of our county rescues have been loaded up by the humane assoc here and taken there for good homes. That could be where the market for stolen pets comes in also. There's not always a way for potential owners to know where a dog or cat comes from.

You're kidding? I haven't heard this. I'm originally from NY and even as a kid we always adopted dogs from the pound or took in dogs off the street....never a shortage, always an overpopulation .

Now I live in the South and it's the same - overpopulation . I have a good friend back in NYC who does animal rescue and she's always trying to get me to take dogs. I tell her, "are you kidding me?, if I 'need' another dog, there are plenty here that need my help, don't send any dogs down to me!"

Stricter/better spay and neuter laws I agree, it's better for dogs in the NorthEast in that way, but I'm pretty sure there is still a pet overpopulation problem .

[Sam I Am]

Actually, there are a number of shelters in the NE that work closely with organizations in the south to take dogs into that area. When we lived on St. Croix there was even a group that flew the smaller dogs to NY for placement through shelters and foster care. There's a very reputable pet transporter that also participates in this, rescueroadtrips.com:

Welcome

Pretty amazing work - and I gotta love his line about "every animal on our transport must be spayed/neutered....this is rescue...you'd better be able to give me a good reason why they aren't". His explanation for why dogs are moved from south to north is on his opening page. Two to three transporters to a trip and the dogs are NEVER left unattended at any point. I would guess that is for many reasons, and theft would certainly be one of them. I haven't had cause to work with this particular transporter personally, but some friends in Texas did after a dog seizure. I'm just impressed with his requirements and standards. I know there are a number of transporters working around the country, but this one works specifically with rescued animals.

Sorry, slight hijack there...back to the topic. We also have padlocks on our gates. We also had the privacy fence set back on one side about 15 feet, behind the meters, so that the meter man (or anyone else) would never have an excuse to open the gate even if the lock was off. All of the locks are keyed the same to keep us from having to chase keys if we are outside working. We have motion detector lights on all corners of the house and out in the back half acre in case the dogs are outside after dark, and we fenced off an area beside the house because it is out of our line of sight from inside.

I just don't think you can be too careful these days...people are nuts. I suspect there is more dog thieving going on than is known just because some people let Fido out to wander and then are surprised when he goes missing. But there's no greater deterrent to theft than a vigilant owner.

[ArkLexee]

That's a neat link Sam!! I especially like the "southern drawl is free" idea. It would be a wonderful world if spay/neuter was a strictly enforced rule EVERYWHERE; putting dog pounds out of work would be a dream come true!!

It's sad but true that Arkansas is STILL trying to get a felony animal abuse law passed. The chicken and cow folks keep fighting it.

[riveree]

Originally Posted by Sam I Am

Actually, there are a number of shelters in the NE that work closely with organizations in the south to take dogs into that area. When we lived on St. Croix there was even a group that flew the smaller dogs to NY for placement through shelters and foster care.

That could be part of it as well, owning dogs in general has become more popular and the smaller dogs especially. So maybe up North the smaller dogs find homes very quickly and there's no surplus of them?? The dogs my friend considers me for are larger.

[titaniummd]

My dog would just lick the other dog to death. They may just escape off into the sunset - Paw in Paw.