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Stealing pets

(42 Posts)
Jane10 Mon 27-Aug-18 12:58:29

I've noticed on Twitter that a lot of people are reporting their pets, usually friendly dogs, being stolen. Sometimes they are able to post photos or descriptions of the low lives who do this. It must be so unbelievably painful to have one's beloved pet stolen like this.
Is it becoming more common or am I just more aware of it? I must say it's a real benefit of Twitter, everyone's happy to retweet and/or be as helpful as possible.

Playermojo007 Wed 29-Aug-18 17:39:48

Aw this is an horrendous event to happen.
I despair of the world. I dore dogs infact better than people if i was to be truthful. I never ever would tie my dog up. I have stood outside shouted shop owner to get me what i want and pay them at the door or just take my dogs home first.
I believe getting a newspaper delivered is so much cheaper than having your dog taken whilst in shop buying one. Oh the heartache connected by a dog or a cat must be awful. X

OldMeg Wed 29-Aug-18 06:50:57

Tuppence you obviously didn’t see my earlier post. That petition has had its reading and and nothing came of it.

Sadly most of these petitions get to that stage and no further.

absent Wed 29-Aug-18 06:12:05

Any dog and even cats can be used as bait to "train" fighting dogs. It is a hugely disgusting practice but, apparently, becoming more common.

sluttygran Wed 29-Aug-18 03:51:49

When you observe the way that so many horrible people treat their own tiny children, is it any wonder that they have so little respect or care for pets?

Venus Tue 28-Aug-18 23:16:45

James Firsht has lost his beloved Staff Bull Terrior on Hadley Common, Barnet on 2nd August. This dog helped him get over drugs and depression and they have a strong bond. James is desperate to have him back. He is offering all the money he has for a safe return of £1000, so please spread the word. You can following him on Facebook. His contact number is 07580868450. If you have any information at all about his dog, Cody, please contact him. Let's get Cody home!

Arto1s Tue 28-Aug-18 22:24:58

Well said instagran. I agree.

instagran Tue 28-Aug-18 21:40:00

I.e. use titles that correctly describe what the post is actually about. Thanks.

instagran Tue 28-Aug-18 21:30:31

MESSAGE TO THE MODERATORS: Could I make a plea for clarity in the name of each post as shown on the front page? For instance on your Contents front page this post is called "It must be so unbelievably painful". How is one to deduce from that it is about missing pets? Similarly, you have called the next post "AIBU to look forward to this?" How could one tell from that it is about the onset of Autumn? Sometimes I (and others, I am sure) want to red flag an item to discuss with others later, and it is often impossible to find the desired item due to the misleading name on the front page. Do you think something could be changed here, please? Many thanks.

singingnutty Tue 28-Aug-18 21:13:47

A friend who is partially sighted and has a guide dog had someone trying to steal her dog in the street a couple of years ago. Luckily the man failed to take the dog, but a few weeks later she was collecting a prescription in the pharmacy and the man was there fetching his methadone. She recognised his voice and was able to find out who he was and alerted the police. What he tried to do was to my mind the worst kind of despicable behaviour!

Chimaera Tue 28-Aug-18 19:39:00

If you have a dog, you can register it on the Dog Lost website, which is a lot easier when you are calm, than having to hunt for photos and microchip numbers when you are in a panic. They have quite a good success rate at reuniting lost dogs. Also make sure the microchip details are up to date, I run a beagle Facebook group and you would be surprised at the number of lost beagles that have out of date details listed.

Jane10 Tue 28-Aug-18 18:22:28

These appalling people use other dogs for their fighting dogs to practise on.

Diana54 Tue 28-Aug-18 18:16:11

My daughter had a terrier stolen, a white van again eventually recovered from a traveler site after about 3 weeks, so very lucky, there were about 10 other dogs most were chipped and found their way home.
These villains are selling them for cash, some dogs are worth many hundreds so quite lucrative unless it's a Bull Terrier any thoughts about fighting can be discounted.

Tuppence21 Tue 28-Aug-18 18:04:19

Sadly until pets are classed differently this will not stop. As far as the police are concerned they are in the same category as any goods or chattels. The fact that they are family members and the pain their loss causes is indescribable makes no difference. The government has so far refused to change the relevant act but there is now pressure on them from various sources to do so. I urge all members to look out for and sign the petitions relating to this. It is only public opinion that will change the law.

Fennel Tue 28-Aug-18 17:33:41

I know what I would like to do to these wicked people.
We don't have any pets now, perhaps just as well.

DaisyL Tue 28-Aug-18 17:31:21

Dog Lost is a really good organisation for lost/stolen dogs. www.doglost.co.uk - it is run by volunteers and has people all over the country ready to put up posters and look for lost dogs. I am a volunteer and when a dog goes missing in my area I get an email. They have a very good success rate and believe that it is very important to flood the area with posters etc. which can make the dog 'too hot to handle'. Anyone concerned about missing dogs should register - it doesn't cost anything.

SunnySusie Tue 28-Aug-18 17:26:18

Re the Croydon cat killer mentioned by TerriBull. A cat was murdered and beheaded two streets from my daughters house near Milton Keynes about nine months ago. Two weeks ago she spotted a man crouching in a virtually disused car park throwing treats for a cat, phoned the police and to their great credit they turned up. She used the SNARL codeword to report the incident. The Guardian also covered the story in August (and the piece explains about SNARL), see: www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2018/aug/08/croydon-cat-killer-hunt-three-years-man-myth

SunnySusie Tue 28-Aug-18 17:15:40

A happy ending near me. A family with two children went to the shops and tied their dog up outside for about three minutes. It was stolen and the family went into overdrive to try and find it. Facebook, twitter, notices on lamposts, in the local paper. Eventually a couple two hundred and fifty miles away phoned to say they had bought a dog in good faith from what looked like a decent home, turns out it was the stolen animal. Seems like in this case the theft was simply to get the selling on money which was £150. Clearly that isnt enough for the amount of trouble it must have been, so no doubt whoever stole the dog is involved in a much bigger operation. Terrible.

Herbie9 Tue 28-Aug-18 16:57:05

It is heartbreaking to have a much loved pet stolen/lost and ultimately not know what happened. Who are these "people"? Shall be much relieved when it will be unlawful to own a puppy farm. Very rarely do pets turn up again but there are some happy reunions.

OldMeg Tue 28-Aug-18 16:21:38

tina you’re on the wrong thread!

There was a case recently where a dog was stolen by an Amazon delivery man. It doesn’t bear thinking about where these dogs end up.

Recently a petition was heard in Parliament (only because it got the requisite number of signatures) which asked that stealing a pet could be made a specific crime. It was treated as all these petitions are....debated (by a small handful of MPs) and then nothing done.

The reason? This is already a crime under some general theft act but in truth the police aren’t interested and do nothing, ???

MissAdventure Tue 28-Aug-18 15:43:30

smile

Jane10 Tue 28-Aug-18 15:35:43

Is this an attempt to prevent being stolen typicallytina?

typicallytina Tue 28-Aug-18 14:50:34

I won’t see 70 again but today I am wearing red striped cotton Nepalese trousers, red and blue top, red striped flip flops and reddish/pinkish/purplish hair......don’t like getting old though it is better than the alternative and.....thankfully my family and friends know me well and expect no less?.?

Sheilasue Tue 28-Aug-18 13:50:38

Yes I was quite surprised to see on fb how many dogs were lost and cats too.
There was one in our area last year (Greenwich) and posters were put up on lamp posts. The dog turned up a few months ago so the owner thanked everyone who had shared.
Apparently it had been half way round the country.

Jane10 Tue 28-Aug-18 13:15:42

It's hard to believe people can be so downright evil.

lottagelady Tue 28-Aug-18 13:13:32

It's vile and 'free to a good home' is not a good idea either nowadays - the girlfriends and kids get dressed up and go round and collect and it appears that it is going to a good home, but in reality it will be bait for fighting dogs :'(