Dog nappings in my area

It was reported in our local paper last week that there have been a Speight of dog nappings in the town where I live.
Tonight a friend of mine has called me to say a woman was out walking her dog over the fields by me when she was attacked by some men and her dog stolen.
I feel sick and very angry. I walk Leo over there.
Its got so you cant even do the pleasurable thing of taking your dog out for a lovely walk anymore

Ive suggested to my friend that people ought to start dog walking clubs and go out in groups......you shouldn't have to do that but it looks like that's the way its going to be. I work shifts and walk Leo at different times of the day.

I shall be walking him in daylight and on main paths and roads from now on. I don't let him off lead anyway (his recall is non existent icon_whistling)

It makes me feel sick that people are having their beloved pets stolen and I don't even want to think about whats happening to those dogs.


I just wanted to rant and to urge people, where ever you live to be safe.

Having an unattended pet stolen is bad enough, but thugs openly wresting the dog from the owner's hand is horrible. What is this world coming to?

It's happening here in Birmingham (UK) too. A few weeks ago somebody a couple of streets from where I live had his two designer breeds stolen from his back garden while he was nearby in the house. One minute they were there and the next they were gone. He reported it to the Police, put photos on Facebook and posters all round the area, without result until he had a 'phone call from a man who demanded a large sum of money for the return of the dogs. Poor man had to meet a very shady character after dark in the garden of an equally shady pub to get his dogs back. Fortunately they were hungry but unharmed.

That's quite an idea you've had about dog walking clubs and going out in groups.

ByFloSin:

While I'm happy he got his dogs back the outcome could have been vastly different. My recommendation would be to call the police and meet the offender while surveilled by cops. At least the chance for safety is enhanced - plus, the police may find other dogs held by this creep that could be returned to their owners. If that many dogs are being stolen the police are under pressure to solve a crime of this nature. Not to mention a lot of cops have dogs too. I agree that walking in groups is probably the best method.

These are all horrible. I would think walking in groups should be safe, but it's just unthinkable that anyone should have to worry about having on-leash dogs stolen by brute force. I am not the type to go meet thugs in shady places, I wonder if the police would be willing to send in a plainclothes officer in that kind of case, I doubt the dognapping and demanding ransoms is the full extent of his criminality.

I always worried with Thistle at the dog park that someone would just decide they liked her and she'd be happy to go with them, she was a sweet girl but no loyalty. Guinness is obsessed with having my undivided attention so it would take a strong-armed robbery to get him to leave me.