Dog theft!

[Dianne cook]

I know others have wrote of dog theft in their country's and I'm aware there have been allegations made of dogs been stollen for many reasons here in Australia!
Last night we recieved an email from our local (small country community stating dogs are been targeted in the near by town! (Shocked!!!) My question is....some think it's a hoax, others say we better believe it....it's going on! Very sad and worrying. Our dogs are all locked in when out or most times I'm out with them and they follow me back in. What are your views? Is it all true? I'm home most of the time and work on the farm nextdoor on a casual basis, I won't deny I'm bothered and distressed by it all, as I've read what sometimes happens to the dogs. Please find a couple of minutes to tell me what you all think please, I need some reassurance.... Or advice!!! These people are parasites!!! Take care Dianne & furbabies x

[Angela Clarke]

Hi Diane, I think you may get a lot of answers to this discussion  , it does go on in all countrys. At the moment there is a group going round in England putting coloured sticker on gates indicating where dogs are, the size and how many. Two springers where taken from inside  a house about a month ago 15 miles from me.

When Abbie was 18 months two youths tryed to take her while I was out walking, I was lucky that I did the right thing at that time, and didn't realise till after that this was what they were going to do. Believe this could be true and just be aware.

[Finding_Beau]

Hi Dianne, My advice to you is to take this seriously. Dog stealing has been a major problem in Australia for a long time. Until my English Setter, Beau was stolen on 1 July 2003 I did not realise how serious dog stealing really was in Australia. I am trying to complete a book about my experiences searching for Beau. I have carried out an enormous amount of research and spoken/written to organisations throughout Australia. I also know a great deal about animal law. Dog stealing has been a major problem in every country of the world for a very long time. There is a little information on some of the web pages of my website www.findingbeau.com. Susan  xxxx

[Sue Paterson]

Hi Diane. Yes I know that a few months back the sticker thing was supposedly going on around us. Also I was told that dogs were being targeted as they were running back to their cars in the local park car parks, obviously ahead of their owners.

I try hard to keep all my dogs in view when off lead...not easy you would agree, and never leave them unaccompanied tied up eg outside shops.

It is very worrying but being vigilant is all one can do. I also try to give as little information as possible to strangers who stop and fuss the dogs. I walk dogs for other people too and had a very uncomfortable time when out with a lovely staffie cross bitch. I'm a naturally polite person , but had to be a bit 'short' with someone who was asking all sorts of questions about her!

[Ellen Turberfield]

Hi Dianne
I've heard of the stickers on the gate too, few years ago I had a couple of stange young lads asking questions about Finlay, the funny thing is Finlay doesn't like men with hoods on so he was barking a lot at them and they walked off. I would never leave him outside a shop just in case

[Dianne cook]

Thank you so much for your input and support, I really apreciate it. I'm so sorry that this has happened to you Angela, it's such an invasion of your right to enjoy a walk with your dogs. The marking of the property's is much the same here as yours, we have thought about survailence signs/cameras as I so feel we need to do something. I spoke with a neighbor who has just moved here and she moved from the city to get away from this sort of theft!! Felt for her! She breeds Huskys and said her dogs would stand up to another dog.... but not for long if it was taken for fighting. Also she told me that two put bred boxers were found, yesterday.... female mutulated and the boy gone from her backyard. What's the world coming to!

Susan, I thought of you as I wrote my discussion, what you endured would of been heartbreaking. I'm most definitely taking it seriously. It's our Granddaughter's 1st birthday and we would be gone for quite some time from our home. So, one of us is staying home just don't feel comfortable leaving our pooches. And where the last attempted taking was, is a matter on minutes from our home. I'll keep you all posted and thank you Angela and Susan. Dianne xxx

[Teresa]

Dog theft is a problem everywhere. In Portugal it's usually for dog fighting or to train dogs to fight (give them a "soft" dog to kill so the fighter gain confidence - just terrible!)

There is also another king of robbery which is taking valuable bitches to later breed them.

Right now I still live in a peaceful area and no reports of dog thefts have occurred in our town. Personally I make sure everyone in town knows how very spayed my girls are, how they are terrible hunters and filled with nasty health issues that require extensive daily care!

I also have Trigo, who is a huge dog and from a portuguese breed that has no commercial value - they are working dogs, usually bred by farmers who give them away or trade them with their friends and family. There really is no point on stealing one of these dogs - also no one would dare to try it!

Trigo is an amazing guard and you'd pretty much have to shoot him before you could get your hands o anything inside our farm, other dogs included. This makes me feel safe about letting the girls outside in the farm without constant direct supervision. One the rare occasions we don't have anyone sleeping there, we do lock the girls inside for the night.

In another city, I don't think I'd let them outside without me or someone I trust being there to watch for them.

[Dianne cook]

It's sort of funny I guess!!! My two girls are quite wild Irish and love life but like Ellen's Finlay they are quite put off by Fluoro colored work wear. We have eggs for sale at our front gate (hence this has stopped, don't want to give anyone an excuse to stop) and a roads worker came in our side gate straight to our back door which is glass and peered in....so he tells me! He was after change for the eggs. He was so scared of my Irish that he point blank refused to come near them when I was home later on.....serve himself right!!! And their mum is identical and she's nearly 9, at first I was a little put off by there wild bark as my boy just goes up to anyone...and I mean anyone! But my daughter said it's terrific, they would certainly make someone think twice about approaching our home. Jokes aside I hope and pray that these parisites move on....I really do.

[James Doran]

The devastation for the owner and distress for the dog in these cases is beyond contemplation. Reading Susan's experience of it is heartbreaking. Beware at all times has to be the only advice. As for those responsible...better to type no more than say what should happen to them. 

[Dianne cook]

Likewise James. Susan's loss is always on my mind.....always!
Yes I too, would not be held responsible for my actions if ever, ever I was to cross the paths of one of these horrid people!!'

[Finding_Beau]

Hi James and Dianne, Your feelings about the devastation for the owner and the distress for the dog are heart-warming for me because I can assure you many “dog lovers” do not share these views. Somehow, someway I hope to publish my book ‘Finding Beau’ this year. I believe the reaction of the majority of readers, if not all, will be Shock.

I have always been aware of dog stealing and I did everything I possibly could to keep my dogs safe but until Beau was stolen I never imagined what the true situation was. Nothing has improved over the last 10 years.

Wherever I have lived, my dogs have been hidden from view and securely locked away when I have had to go to work. When we moved out here onto acreage, my dogs were either locked inside the house or confined to a 2.5 metre high verandah when I was not home and unable to take them with me. The front gate to the property was always locked and at the time Beau was taken, the entire boundary fence line was electrified. I have never allowed my dogs to walk even inside this property unless I have been there with them. I have always been very careful when speaking to tradesmen, etc. and have never allowed anyone to see my dogs unless I was very sure they were trustworthy. Unfortunately with Beau, when I phoned the Police the next day, after describing the circumstances, it was their opinion that Beau had been stolen and I would never see Beau again. This opinion was repeated when the Police crime report was completed and a Police Dog Squad trainer had visited our home. I was advised that I had been stalked and the stealing of Beau was very well planned. This made me feel sick inside. Right now as I am writing this, this terrible sickness is welling up inside of me. I will never lose that gut-wrenching, devastating feeling when I arrived home that terrible Tuesday afternoon on 1 July 2003 and found Beau gone and Jessie in a severely traumatised state. I pray that you never have to experience this happening to you. You can never be too vigilant. Susan xxxxx

[Mike]

Dianne,  This is a very real threat. In the early 1980's, I was a teenager living in an extremely rural area of New York State, United States. All dog owners, let there dogs have the free run of their farms. One day all three of our pure-bred dogs disappeared. Only later, learning that all pure-bred dogs; within a 250 square mile area, had disappeared the very same day. The sheriffs office reported that they had 48 reports of missing dogs on that day. No mixed breeds were missing. One neighbor reported, seeing an unfamiliar van driving slowly by. What ever happened to all of these dogs is anyone's guess. What I can tell you is, this was a life changing event for me. Since that time, I have never allowed any of my dogs out of my home, when they were not directly supervised. This includes my fenced back yard. My friends must think I am insane, but I will not  allow this to happen to me again.

[Dianne cook]

Mike, my heart goes out to you having your dogs taken like that you could never ever relax again I don't think......how heartbreaking it must of been and a shock!! It's still dark here in Melbourne at 5.30 am and I have one of our pooches tapping at the door to go out but I don't now, I take the torch and check gates to what I thought was an extremely good backyard, fenced well and secure for our area (most farm dogs still roam!!) the locals talk about us with our mix of pedigree setters and Newfoundlands. I guess the one thing I'm lucky with is that the local people who have lived in our small town...sort of laughed it off but now they are a fair bit concerned and said there not afraid to use thier guns to drive anyone away they feel is undesirable!!! Our local police can't really do anything they say....bit sad.
So yes Mike I have really changed and taken it all on board, I drive to somewhere to walk our dogs beach, park anywhere but not home. I think I prefer my little 1/4 acre with my very good neighbors, this vast space I have now feels quite threatening at times! Take care Dianne