Pet Theft Awareness
March 14th is Dog Theft Awareness Day as part of Pet Theft Awareness Week and 2023 sees the annual event on it’s sixth year. The Pet Theft Taskforce reports that around 2,000 dogs are stolen every year in the UK, which is about 5 dogs per day and around 70% of pet thefts involve dogs – That’s a frightening statistic for any pet owner!
It is common knowledge that the pandemic and subsequent lockdown saw a significant rise in the amount of people wanting to add a canine addition to their families, and DogLost reported 2020 saw the biggest increase in dog theft in the UK.
The aim of this week is to raise awareness of the prevalence of pet theft and highlights things that you, as pet guardians can do to protect your pet as much as possible.
What can I do to keep my pet safe?
Microchip your pet and ensure that your details are up to date and correct! Sadly, it is an all too common occurrence that when an animal is found their microchip details are out of date or wrong – please check the database that your microchip is registered to that your details are correct. You can also ask your vet to double check you dogs chip is in working order and that the details registered to the chip are the right ones.
Make sure that your garden and property is secure
Don’t leave your dog unattended outside of a supermarket or any other shop, even if you plan to be “just 2 minutes” – it literally takes seconds for someone to steal your dog even in the middle of public as most people will assume that the person taking your dog is the owner and therefore won’t question the action.
While on walks, ensure your dog is in sight at all times and have a solid recall in place! (Howls & Prowls can assist with this)
Have up to date photos of your dog, especially any identifying features
Prepare your emergency list beforehand so you are prepared in case the unexpected happens. We’ve created one here that you can use.
Consider GPS trackers, such as PitPat just in case your canine companion wanders off
Register with Pet24 – A service which offers a 24/7 emergency contact should your dog go missing. You will get an ID tag with your unique Pet24 ID number engraved on it that the person who finds your pet can call. You can add numerous contact numbers to your account (even temporary ones) and Pet24 will call all available numbers until you are reunited with your pet. They even pay for emergency veterinary treatment up to £1000.
What to do if my pet is stolen?
PetTheft recommends the following actions in the event that your dog is stolen:
Take photographs of any vehicles and write down as much information as you can about the incident
Contact the police and get a crime number immediately
Send details to organisations such as DogsLost with the photos you have of your dog – they will produce a missing poster and alert their network of volunteers
Check pets for sale websites regularly, some dog thefts happen with the idea of making money from your pet
Alert your microchip database company
Search the area the dog went missing, get as many people as you can to help you with instructions for if your dog is nervous (do not approach, etc) and ensure all searchers have your number
Take to social media and let people know, share your DogLost poster and photos, raise awareness and ask people to share so as many people as possible see the post
Inform your vets, local dog rescue, dog warden and highways department
Theft Stats:
According to the Stolen and Missing Pets Alliance (SAMPA), most dog thefts happen from gardens (52%), with other reported incidents being house burglaries (19%), on a walk (16%), being tied up outside shops (7%) and cars (5%)
Pet24
Use our Howls & Prowls affiliate link to claim your £5 discount, making annual membership just £20
PitPat GPS
Track your dogs location on your phone with a PitPat GPS Tracker
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