It's late at night and a stranger walking down an alley sees your loved ones dog sleeping on the porch in your fenced yard. The stranger quietly calls the dog over and begins to pet him. While checking to see if anyone is watching, he opens the gate, attaches a leash to your dog's collar and leads him away, never to be seen again. The next morning, your loved ones is distraught; when a neighbor's video surveillance shows that your dog has been stolen, you’re feeling deeply hurt.
While the emotions described are implied, the circumstances will not be: reports suggest that dog thefts are on the rise within the USA.
Losing a pet might be devastating and is a criminal offense whose consequences extend far beyond the animal's financial value. Many dog owners consider their dogs to be relations; a 2020 study found that losing a pet can have an identical emotional impact to the lack of a loved one.
As CriminologistsWe wanted to raised understand the problem of dog kidnapping and dog thieves and at the identical time show ways during which pet owners can protect their four-legged friends from danger.
Collaboration with criminal law researchers J. Mitchell Miller, We investigated 82 cases of dog theft captured by surveillance cameras and posted online.
Breakdown of the footage
In the videos we analyzed, about half of the thefts appeared to involve a single perpetrator acting alone. About 38% appeared to involve two perpetrators, while 9% involved three or more people working together.
The thefts generally looked as if it would involve some planning and strategy. In our sample, nearly 38% of thieves used vehicles to move the stolen pets, about 3% used bicycles, and 50% fled on foot. In three incidents, violence was used – for instance, the owner was pushed – and in about 15% of the thefts, violence was used, reminiscent of breaking right into a constructing. In about 37% of cases, thieves were in a position to hide the animal in bags, clothing, or other means.
Sometimes thieves used diversionary tactics. In one case, two thieves distracted a clerk in a pet store while the opposite stole a puppy from a display kennel near the front door.
The overwhelming majority of incidents – 74% – involved the theft of a single animal, and these were often small dogs. According to the American Kennel Club, certain breeds, reminiscent of French Bulldogs And Yorkshire Terriersare more attractive targets; they’re relatively small and are likely to sell for higher prices than other breeds.
Interestingly, only a handful of dogs nipped or barked as they were led away. Over half appeared calm throughout the incident, while about 33% were friendly towards the thieves.
About 68% of the thefts occurred throughout the day and 60% occurred indoors; the thefts that occurred indoors were more prone to occur in pet stores than in private homes. When the dog thefts occurred outdoors, the dogs were often taken from people's front yards, where the animals could possibly be seen from the road.
A punishment that doesn’t fit the crime
There are several explanation why someone might steal a dog. Some people do it simply to make a fast buck – a practice referred to as pet flipping – or to extort a ransom from the owner.
Others have larger visions and aim highly valued pedigree dogslike Rottweilers and Chow Chows to begin a breeding program. Then there are those that steal pets for Dog fighting ringswhile some thieves just need a dog for themselves and don't need to pay for it or undergo the adoption process.
Recent reports suggest that pet theft is on the rise. A transparent indicator is the rise within the variety of social media posts Information about lost or stolen pets.
The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated this trend: The demand for pets exploded throughout the lockdowns and dog prices on the secondary market skyrocketed.
Compounding Matters is a legal system that we imagine often fails to adequately address the seriousness of this crime. Many jurisdictions treat pet theft similarly to property theft. As a result, many pets – even some breeds – could possibly be value lower than $1,000, which often leads to relatively lenient penalties.
A thief who comes onto your property, steals your dog, and sells it to another person would likely receive the identical punishment as someone who steals your bicycle.
It goes without saying that in case you don't view and value a dog any in a different way than another possession, you ignore the deep emotional bond between pet and owner.
Defensive measures
There are some preventative measures that dog owners and pet store owners can take.
Many thefts occurred where pets were easily accessible and visual to passersby, reminiscent of in front yards or near the exit of pet stores. Something so simple as the next fence could higher protect dogs. Microchip for pets and the usage of GPS collars could make stolen pets easier to search out and fewer attractive to thieves.
Of course, stricter laws and harsher penalties for pet theft could deter criminals even further. While there isn’t a database of the variety of pets stolen, every pet kept secure is one less devastating loss for a family.
image credit : theconversation.com