# Pet Theft



## mswhipple (Mar 7, 2011)

It seems like I've been seeing articles on the Internet regarding dogs being stolen with alarming frequency. 

The theory is that, with the economy being so weak, some bad people will do anything to get money. If they perceive a dog to be valuable, they will steal it and try to sell it on e-Bay or with an ad in the local paper. How awful would that be?!

In this situation, it might be a good thing that the Vizsla is a relatively unknown breed, and by that I mean a lot of ordinary people have never heard of the Vizsla. So any, be aware that pet theft has increased by 50% in the last two years, and keep a good watch over your four-legged family members. 

p.s. The last one I read about was a local family whose Welsh Corgi was stolen.


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## gunnr (Aug 14, 2009)

20+ years ago I was offered $3500.00 for my Vizsla, Boone, in the parking lot of a hunting area.
On one hand I was flattered, on the other hand I got extremely worried that someone would steal my dog. My dogs have always been chipped since then.

The other reason they get stolen, dogs in general, is too condition other dogs to fight and be aggressive.


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## kellygh (Oct 25, 2010)

Dogs are also stolen for research experiments  . The things people will do for money &/or sport is beyond the pale! 

Aside for microchips and tattooing, I have learned another small measure to protect your pet. I was ordering Pumpkin a leather collar, and I was reading the name plate guidelines. Linked was an article re: suggestions (dos & don'ts). The author noted the "you wouldn't believe what people ask to be put on a name plate." I followed the article guidelines, and I must admit it never occurred to me NOT to put my dog's name on the collar. I got 2 name plates attached. One with my name & 3 telephone numbers. The 2nd was braced with 'REWARD IF FOUND,' and my address. The logic being to never make it easier for someone to walk away with your dog. Your dog's name on the collar does just that.


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## redrover (Mar 17, 2011)

kellygh said:


> Dogs are also stolen for research experiments  .


There are two types of animal dealers for research and veterinary school classes: Class A and Class B. Class A provides purpose-bred, well-maintained and tracked animals, and are what most institutions use. Class B provide animals from "random sources" which include shelters and auctions, apparently. They also steal dogs. The benefit of Class B is that the animals are obviously cheaper...but the downsides are plentiful (even if one doesn't consider the moral implications), and I don't personally know of any researchers that use Class B dealers (I am a graduate student at the U of Minnesota), though I can't vouch for the veterinary school.

Regardless, they exist, and they are horrible!

That's very interesting about the name tag guidelines--I read something a long time ago that said having a name on the tag does make it easier for people to pretend they own a dog that they've stolen. Hmmm.


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## kellygh (Oct 25, 2010)

Yes, and using a friendly voice to call a dog's name makes it more likely a dog will willingly go/follow/come to a stranger.


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## RubyRoo (Feb 1, 2011)

So glad I caught this thread. Just ordered Ruby a new collar and tag with her name on it yesterday. I called the place to have them change it to remove her name and put Reward if found with just our phone numbers


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## datacan (May 15, 2011)

Don't know if it's related, but when Sam was 17 weeks old we felt we were followed around by a pickup truck. It would slow down as the driver checked us in the mirror. I found a friend with a young Labrador and walked together for a while. I like to think the driver never saw a V before and was just passing by a few times for about a week, every day...perhaps was garbage surfing :-\

As far as microchips, I read some may move and cause problems with active dogs. Also my breeder mentioned it, they tattooed Sam's inside ear flap. Microchips can be read by vets, mostly. No use to the average person.

Keeping the dog close is best defense, IMO. Or a GPS hunting collar might help locate the dog (until it's removed).


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## Mendeldave (Aug 1, 2011)

Recently there was an article in my local (Brooklyn) paper about a stolen dog. 
It was lost, then found by some nice person who turned it over to the police to take to the local rescue, along the way the some ladies drove up to the cop holding the dog (on the street I guess, maybe they saw the person giving it to the cop, I forget the details) and said it was theirs, he gave it to them, no questions asked, they drove off... But they were not the actual owners! Now there is a big reward being offered. 

Anyway, that must be rare, and is really weird. The police also did mention that pet thefts are actually extremely rare (or rarely reported) at least in Brooklyn. Still, I like the idea of the tattoo AND the microchip. 

And, speaking of tattoos, I was recently thinking about them for dog IDs, and I wondered where that is done. A vet? or a tattoo parlor? I really have no idea.


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## kellygh (Oct 25, 2010)

There are a few vets around Charlotte that do them. A vet is the only place I would consider. Like microchips, they are not perfect. Think long & hard about what you want tattooed & where. There was a case a few years ago where some dogs were stolen in NC, and their ears were cut off to eliminate the tattoo. The dogs were used as bait for fight training. Then what to get? Signs, breeders mark, and even AKC #s aren't helpful to most. Do you get a phone number that may change? Just your name? AKC # and something else? IDK, but I will be doing a tattoo & microchip when Pumpkin is spayed. Any good tattoo suggestions?


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## datacan (May 15, 2011)

Tattoo or Microchip is done by the breeder, at least in my case (Tattoo only).


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## mswhipple (Mar 7, 2011)

... And there are canine tattoo registries, such as this one:

http://www.nationaldogregistry.com

I'm not sure how they work, but I believe they assign you a specific number with a bunch of digits, and that is what you have tattooed on your dog. Then, if your dog is found, the registry is contacted (in theory) and you end up getting your dog back. Trouble is, there are a number of different tattoo registries.

Likewise, not all microchip readers will read all microchips. I think the industry is working toward standardizing, but it isn't there yet. 

I had Willie microchipped at the Vet on his first Vet visit after I adopted him (in the first week). Microchips are less likely to migrate in grown dogs. What I like about microchips is that, even in the high-kill shelters, they are using a two-scan policy. The stray dog is scanned once upon admission, and a second time right before euthanasia. And most microchip companies provide their chip reading devices to the shelters free of charge. Willie has a "Home Again" chip. Another big one is "Avid". 

I have the Vet scan Willie every now and then to make sure his chip is still in place between the shoulder blades (it is). It cost me a mere $25 at the Vet's to have the chip put in place.

Still, I agree, your best bet is to keep him close and not allow a tragedy to happen in the first place.


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## Kailua (Feb 12, 2009)

What an interesting thread...There aren't that many Vizslas in my area and people are always stopping on the road (car or walking) asking us about our dog. We had one stranger asking us if we lived in this area. What kind of question is that!?!?! People have asked us to let their pig hunting dogs breed with ours-no thank you.


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## datacan (May 15, 2011)

My breeder explained, tattoos on the legs look cheesy on a V. A dot matrix printer was used. The dog can be traced back to the breeder by the authorities, here in Canada and perhaps in the US as well.


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