The pet theft epidemic is all about stealing dogs. Family pets are kidnapped at a startling rate throughout the country and sold to animal research facilities for profit. Purebred dogs are dog-napped from backyards and sold on Craigslist or through classified ads for hundreds of dollars, and Pit Bull-type dogs are stolen to be used as bait dogs or turned into fighting dogs. Regardless of the thieves’ tactics and intentions, the outcome for a stolen dog is bleak.

According to animal welfare organizations like IDA (In Defense of Animals), PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals), and LCA (Last Chance for Animals), “It is estimated that 2 million dogs and cats are forcibly stolen every year from owners’ property or by deception through ‘free-to-good-home' ads. These family pets are taken by common thieves and unlicensed dealers known as ‘bunchers’ for resale. Bunchers steal pets off the street, from owners’ yards and vehicles, and anywhere else the animals are in public view.”

Two million beloved family pets are abducted and forced to finish the remainder of their lives in hell. If you divide that staggering number by the days in a year, that accounts for 5,479 pets stolen every single day. Why would someone want to steal your mutt, purebred, or mongrel? Most dogs are stolen for animal research or, more obviously, for money.

This is a billion-dollar business. According to IDA, “The most consistent and highest-paying client is often the research industry. Hundreds of thousands of cats and dogs are used as laboratory subjects in universities and testing and research institutions every year. Research institutions prefer to experiment on animals that are accustomed to humans, as they tend to be docile and much easier to handle.”

Other corporations that do research on animals include private and public hospitals, medical schools, paint and pesticide manufacturers, the Department of Defense, medical supply/equipment and pharmaceutical companies, and the National Institute of Health. There are a number of websites that will educate you regarding stolen pets that are used in biomedical research and testing, such as www.navs.org, www.aavs.org, www.parkc.org, and www.wwail.org.

According to parkc.org, “Each year, millions of non-human animals are tortured and killed for the sake of research. They are burned, starved, irradiated, shocked, mutilated, kept in isolation, poisoned, drugged, electrocuted, and the list goes on and on. The use of non-human animals in laboratory testing is scientifically unjustifiable, and the suffering endured by the animals is unconscionable. And painful, invasive testing on animals could go on for years.”

Also, these dog-nappers, or bunchers, can make up to $50 per animal, and licensed class A or class B dealers can get $50 to $700 each for a purebred or premium dog.

Be a responsible dog parent and do your part to keep your pet safe and out of danger. Below are suggestions from Last Chance for Animals (www.LCAnimal.org) on what you can do to protect your pet:

• Keep your pet indoors, especially when you are not home. Do not leave animals unattended in your yard; it only takes a minute for thieves to steal your pet. Do not let your pet roam free in the neighborhood. Keep companion animals safely inside your house when you are expecting repair personnel, meter readers, landscape workers, or guests.

• Properly identify your pet with a collar and tag, microchip and/or tattoo. Know where your pet is at all times. Maintain up-to-date licenses on your pet. Keep recent photos and written descriptions of your companion animals on hand at all times. Also, spay and neuter your pets, since fixed animals are less likely to stray from home.

• Be aware of strangers in the neighborhood and report suspicious behavior. It is better to keep your dog safe now than be sorry later.

** I wrote this article 4-1/2 years ago, and it was printed in the March 2007 issue of The Colorado Dog Magazine. Unfortunately, nothing has changed and pet theft is still at an all-time high.
~~Jamie M. Downey