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Dog Safety - Dog Napping
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Dog Napping
Pet lovers will be horrified to hear that according to new research dog napping is
becoming the fastest-growing crime and is still on the increase, with the stolen pet
market booming. Over 40,000 dogs are reported missing each year.


Who is at Risk?
Any dog can be a target, particularly if it has especially striking or attractive colors, coat
or markings. Pedigree dogs seem to be most at threat as these dogs can be re-sold for
substantial amounts of money. Dogs believed to be of “fighting type” are also at
greater risk as they are often stolen for use in underground dog fighting rings. Dogs
that are often left to wander around instead of being secured on their owner’s property
are more likely to be picked up. Dogs with poor recall, who run off when let loose in the
park, are also more likely to go missing. The breed that seems to be stolen the most
often is the Staffordshire Bull Terrier, with numerous demands made for cash in
exchange for their safe return.

A Cruel Game…
Many dogs are taken so that the kidnappers can then blackmail, coerce or bully the
owners for money. They will wait until the owners start  putting up posters offering
rewards and then contact the owners, claiming either to have found and ‘rescued’ the
dog or even just demand a straight ransom for safe return of your pet. Some demands
by dishonest “finders” have come to large sums with frantic owners helpless and in
despair.

How to Protect Your Dog
  • Get your dog microchipped and/tattooed. This can make the crucial difference
    for the dog being identified and returned to you. A microchip is implanted just
    beneath the skin at the scruff of the neck through a simple, painless procedure
    performed by your vet and it will remain there permanently where it can be picked
    up by a special scanner and then traced back to your name and contact details
    on a central register. (Always remember to keep your microchip and pet
    identification details updated when you move house or change any of your
    contact numbers.)

  • Make sure that your dog always wears a secure collar with a clearly visible ID tag
    on it at all times, bearing your contact details (this is actually a legal requirement
    and you can be fined if your dog isn’t wearing a collar and tag) – however, it
    might not be a good idea to put your dog’s or your own personal details on the
    tag, in case this information is used by the dognappers.

  • Ensure that you have strong, adequate fencing around your property and that
    you test it to make sure that your dog can’t slip through any gaps, climb over the
    top or burrow under. Never underestimate the ability of dogs to escape – some
    dogs are consummate escape artists and can devise very clever ways to
    overcome your fencing. In some cases, you may need to dig fencing several feet
    underground to prevent digging and burrowing out and also make sure that it is
    high enough that your dog cannot scale it. Do not assume that just because your
    dog is small, a short fence will suffice – many of the smaller dogs are some of the
    world’s best jumpers and can clear taller fences that will stop many a larger dog.
    If you are unsure of your fencing, don’t leave your dog unattended in the garden.

  • Secure fencing will also make it harder for opportunistic thieves to break in.

  • Always make sure that you shut all doors and gates firmly (and ask any visitors to
    do the same) and do not leave windows open wide enough for your dog to jump
    out, if it is likely to escape that way.

  • NEVER let your dog out on its own to wander around the street or the “village
    green”.

  • Always keep your dog on lead unless it is in a designated off-leash area. Keep it
    on lead near main roads and in busy areas, where it is likely to run off and go
    missing.

  • Spend time training a good, solid recall – get professional help if necessary – and
    do not let your dog off the lead unless you are confident that he will return when
    called, even in the presence of distractions.

  • Be a bit wary of over-friendly strangers who ask for a lot of information about
    your dog, particularly if it is territorial and where it is kept.

  • Never leave your dog tied up, unattended outside shops and other buildings.

  • It can be a good idea to keep a DNA sample from your dog (you can do this by
    swabbing a cotton bud on the inside of your pet’s mouth and then sealing it
    inside a clean, sterile container) which will provide indisputable evidence that
    your dog belongs to you.

  • It is also a good idea to neuter your pet, whether male or female, as neutered
    dogs are less inclined to roam.
Do you Own a dog or are you
thinking about owning a dog?  
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you should know about your new
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