Losing your pet is like losing one of your family. But stealing one is on the increase since Covid and lockdowns because people who have never had a pet or missed a lost one from their childhood are prepared to pay anything to get one to help them through the lockdowns – and criminals are taking advantage of this and stealing pets from the owner’s homes.
If you are thinking of buying one then make sure it is “chipped” ( if you already own a dog it is “chipped” already, isn’t it?), so it can be identified and its history can be traced before you part with any money.
If you are buying it from a recognised dealer or one of the rescue charities they should provide you with this information but if you have fallen in love with an offered animal then a vet will be able to use this chip to tell you what vaccinations it has already had.
There a crime wave in this country ( probably worldwide ) to steal and sell on pets, dogs in particular, because a dog can be worth a lot of money to a thief with very little risk – and they are active in Rutland and surrounding counties now!
I have heard of a non-pedigree ( but cute! ) being sold for £3,500! Current owners make sure your pet is secure at all times. It takes seconds to lure a friendly dog into a van. And prospective owners should always check on DogLost.co.uk to see if they are being offered a stolen dog.
Wing Community 