Theft and loss of animals... (Huntsville, Cullman: crime, felony, houses) - Huntsville-Madison-Decatur area - Alabama (AL) - City-Data Forum

Becky2517 · 06-15-2015, 04:08 PM

I have become actively involved in animal advocacy/rescue here in the local area lately, and I am seeing an alarming number of lost and missing pets, both cats and dogs. The outdoor cats can probably be contributed to predators for the most part, and/or cars - the dogs on the other hand are falling victim to 2-legged predators. Dogs are being stolen straight out of peoples front and backyards...some to sell at online yard sales, some used for bait in dog fighting and the intact animals used for breeding. All to make a quick buck. AC and the police are aware, but, not much they can do. The norm seems to be someone driving around, staking out the neighborhoods, the properties gets "marked," plastic bag on a fence, a string or wire etc. Then someone else comes by when people are at work and grab the animals. As recently as a few days ago in south Huntsville, a truck stopped, and a little girl ran out and grabbed a poodle from someones front yard. The dog fighters are getting their bait animals from the myriad of online groups and Craigslist..."free" to good home is never a good thing. There are some truly sick individuals out there who have no regard for animals and other peoples property. Be on the lookout, keep your pets indoors when you are not home, lock your gates.
IF you lose an animal, check the online (FB) lost and found groups, ALL over AL & neighboring states - dogs are often found 100's of miles away. A lot of the stolen dogs that have been spayed/neutered will get dumped when they can't breed them for profit.

Don't let your pets fall victim to this, spay and neuter, and most of all - keep them inside and safe when you are not home!

azgkrudi · 06-15-2015, 04:51 PM

Unconscionable. Instead of "theft/loss", this should be called abduction. What people won't do these days for a buck! But I have to say, owners need to give proper attention to their pets.

I would never, ever leave my dogs unattended. I have a fully-fenced backyard and stand there and watch them do their "business", run around for exercise, and bring them in immediately when they're done. IMO, pets should be treated like children, watched closely!, but that's just me.

writerwife · 06-15-2015, 05:04 PM

It's an extremely unfortunate (and sick) thing that's been going on for yrs. Recently, the police got 2 teens in my daughter's neighborhood in Harvest (Very nice neighborhood $200,000 - $300,000 homes) and they had been stealing cats & dogs and torturing them and throwing in front of oncoming cars. Fortunately, they were caught by the cops (serial killers in the making imo). My mom, in S. Hsv, they had neighborhood watch meeting last week and they've been seeing vehicles driving very slowly, sometimes a man gets out and looks closer at yards (mom saw him photographing her house at o dark thirty in the morning) at odd hours and they're trying to figure out what's going on. Quite a few neighbors said it seemed suspicious behavior but any attempt to talk to these persons results in their hasty departure. I'll let them know about this.
Those sorry excuses for humans should get the same treatment.

Dirt Grinder · 06-15-2015, 05:14 PM

I've been stopped a few times, while walking in our neighborhood, by new residents looking for their "lost cats." I don't have the heart to tell them what likely happened or the source of those howling/yelping noises they hear at night.

Becky2517 · 06-15-2015, 05:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dirt Grinder

I've been stopped a few times, while walking in our neighborhood, by new residents looking for their "lost cats." I don't have the heart to tell them what likely happened or the source of those howling/yelping noises they hear at night.

That's just sad...we have SO many cats listed in the lost groups, I feel for the people, but, they still cling to "cats should be allowed outdoors"...with as many predators as we have, winged, slithering and 4 legged, I just don't let mine outside, except the screened in porch.

Maybe you DO need to have a heart and tell them, otherwise they will keep on doing it. Many of these cats are declawed and don't stand a chance - they can't escape up a tree with no claws! The coyotes are multiplying and they are not even remotely scared of people. As we build more and more houses, we are taking more and more habitat away from wildlife...I'm not saying we shouldn't build, just use a little common sense when it comes to our pets.

azgkrudi · 06-15-2015, 05:53 PM

I thought I heard somewhere that cats live, on average, about 12 years longer if they are indoor pets vs. outdoor pets. Basically, an outdoor cat survives around 5 years and and indoor one, up to 17. Really: so why not keep them indoors, wouldn't you rather enjoy their company for that much longer? I know allergies can be a problem, but I am allergic to dogs and still can't get enough of my kiddoes. They're probably allergic to me, too!

dijkstra · 06-15-2015, 06:30 PM

If you go buy a $500-$1000 dog, you should keep an eye on it just like you would say a $500-$1000 necklace. On the black market they are worth about half so for the dead beats, it is an easy payday......Grab an expensive dog, list it on craiglist and say you can't keep it because you are moving somewhere that pets aren't allowed, your kid has allergies or whatever and somebody will come buy it.

One thing you can do though is go to the vet and get the ID chip implanted. The vets scan the dogs for an ID chip when you bring them in and sometimes people get their dog back.

Cats are coyote food. There really isn't much else you can say about that. lol Particular dog breeds such as bull dogs and labs think it is fun to just kill a cat. They can't help it, it is an instinct....see a cat and it must be killed.

I hate it when someone has a dog stolen or lost or whatever but as far as the police getting involved, they have far more important areas of concern that take priority. I would actually be pissed off to find out the police were wasting resources looking for dogs instead of getting meth heads, child abusers, etc. off the street.

Lamar Bowman · 06-15-2015, 06:38 PM

GPS chip is a good tool to help track them down.

writerwife · 06-15-2015, 09:35 PM

Well... the cops went after these teens because smaller kids in the area started running into body parts and the boys had been experimenting and torturing the cats. They skinned them, dissected them, lit them on fire. Like I said, budding serial killers. I, for one, am glad the cops did get involved.

Becky2517 · 06-15-2015, 10:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by writerwife

Well... the cops went after these teens because smaller kids in the area started running into body parts and the boys had been experimenting and torturing the cats. They skinned them, dissected them, lit them on fire. Like I said, budding serial killers. I, for one, am glad the cops did get involved.

Me too - if a person has no regard for an animal, they generally don't have any for human life either. Many of these people that are selling them for a quick buck already have outstanding warrants and a rap-sheet...it IS a felony in AL to steal a dog. So yes, I want the police to know! I don't know how many posts I have seen where people have broken in, taken everything of value and often the dogs - There were 3 dogs recently killed in a home in Cullman, g u t t e d, and left for the owner to find them! The crimes you mention that the police "needs to be concerned about" are perpetuated by the same creeps who are stealing animals. For bait, for fighting, for backyard breeding, for a cheap buck...one lady had tires stolen out of her yard, the next day they came back for her dog! Crime is crime.