Strays Stolen and Finders

Stray dogs and Rescue

Strays: The dog scene has changes radically and dog ownership has a lot more responsibilities in what can feel a hostile environment. Strays were the main stay of many Rescues in the recent past. The Police and the RSPCA stepped back and the Local authorities (Council) took up legal duties to take in provide emergency vet treatment and to trace owners. Dog Wardens / Animal Welfare Officers became the lead officers are responsible for dealing with incidents with public disputes, welfare issues in the home of an educational nature and involving other agencies where continued concern. After 7 days, if microchip details are fully resolved without reclaim, then strays are either rehomed, passing into a reputable Rescues or  ‘destroyed’ as is their terminology as of the 8th day or after.

Theft and stolen dogs: Historically this was a feature for dogs of value initially breeder’s kennels were targeted to steal pups or valuable pedigree breeding stock. It also featured in the form of ownership disputes with some ending up in the courts. What has emerged is stealing for a market  has escalated in recent years. Family dogs are viewed as a commodity of cash value. The buyers, value second hand, preferring the ready trained dog and convinced they are taking on a dog who no longer can be cared for. No questions asked. You know what dog you are getting when homing an adult…or so you think. Puppy farmers undercut price of pedigree breeders: Standard went down and volume went up. The foreign markets surfaced with the change of quarantine laws. People were rescuing street dogs from all over the world and puppies are arriving in terrible conditions after long journeys. The ethics doesn’t matter to most they push it into the background like any tales of poor animal welfare. Importers convince themselves they are the “heros” going to give this cheap cute pup a loving home, if it’s health holds up. There is no back-up, no come backs. In truth many puppies are bred for the British market.

Snatchers: Now enter the blatant daylight dog thieves often working in pairs with a van. Dog’s do have a predicator human snatchers. They can gather intelligence ahead of the snatch like marking houses where they have noted valuable dog or visiting parks. They snatch off lead dogs; They jump back garden fences maybe be with one at the front door to distract owner; dogs left outside shops easy pickings; dogs left in cars broken window and you’re away. They see someone or a dog warden advertising a dog and feign ownership them false address and they are off.

 Your Responsibility: Don’t be Naïve and then Grieve

  1. Chip: Make sure your dog’s chip is registered and up-to-date: Correct owner, address and valid mobile numbers.
  2. Photos: Have photos of your dog as prove of ownership, so many lost dogs on Doglost have no photos available. Always have a disc with your mobile numbers on your dog’s collar even in the house, this is law.
  3. Supervision: Be responsible don’t leave your dogs unsupervised, or in an under-aged person’s charge or managed by strangers especially in a free running pack. Don’t leave unattended in back gardens. These people note patterns and mark houses.
  4. Be Suspicious: Don’t allow strangers to come and admire your dog.
  5. Don’t allow your dog off lead especially with a dog walker within a multi pack, your dog can be easily picked off.
  6. Contact your local and neighbouring councils and Doglost website as soon as you lose your dog. Keep contacting them.

Our Responsibility as a responsible Rescue

  1. Histories: We check all dog’s as they arrive, where dog wardens haven’t reassured us, where their history isn’t straightforward or we have suspicions via their chip details and search DogLost website
  2. Trace any leads: We follow up any families who think they recognise one of our dogs.
  3. Neuter: We neuter all dogs so they lose their value for any con-families wanting our dog for breeding
  4. On Lead for Life: We carefully vet our potential homers so we know we can trust their ownership. We turn many homes down, to risk takers who have their dogs off lead. This guards against a lot of thefts, but also going stray, road deaths and altercations with other dogs or nervous public. We educate against dog walking companies who blatantly take risks.
  5. Management: We are strict on garden security and exit management and tutor on potential dog theft.
  6. Ultimate Retention of Rescue’s details kept on our dog’s chip: We retain our Rescue’s address in the background of their chip so if their owners can’t be traced our dog comes back to us.
  7. No one ever visits our Centre without an appointment and are turned away even if they have travelled a long way etc. We never risk our site being vetted or raided with security systems.

 

Responsibility if you find a dog

  1. Call the mobile on the dog’s disc.
  2. If no disc, take the dog to a vets so they can read the microchip details.
  3. Local Authority: If no luck call the local authority and a few neighbouring authorities just in case their owner has reported them missing. You may need to hold on to the dog in a spare room overnight. Call them again in the morning to make sure the message has been passed on to the day shift, and any panicked owners have since called in with clear description of their dog.
  4. Proof of ownership: Never give the dog to someone who you have any concerns about i.e. feigning ownership ask for a name, photo history.
  5. Don’t advertise found: To avoid false claimers.
  6. Check “DogLost.co.uk” and social media if anyone is reporting their dog lost or stolen even after the council may have collected as the council probably won’t do this.

 

The law has changed and Snatchers are being treated with more severity. Up until now dogs were classed as property. Be astute.