DOG THEFTS PLEASE READ

[Guest SJM]

Just been browsing through the view new posts and there seems to be a spate of recent dog thefts I posted something similar last year, and probably the year before, but I make no apology for repeating my thoughts once again, because if it spares someone the grief of having their prized workers stolen, then it will be worthwhile.

 

Take a look around your kennels and yard and see what extra measures you could put in place to make it safer. Dont wait til tomorrow, that could be too late. Do it today!

 

Look at all the points of access to your kennels and see which areas are weak spots where a potential theif may be able to gain access. What can you do to make these areas safer? Floodlighting helps you see whats going on and can act as a deterrant. A high fence or some bushes planted around perimeters can make access more difficult and stops people nosying into your yard to see what you have.

 

Seriously think about installing CCTV if you havent allready. Make sure every time you nip out even if its during the day, you hit the record button. Check your tapes or dvds regularly and replace them when they become well used/worn. Padlock your kennels every time you go out. If you can get a guard dog then get one.

 

A great little bit of kit is a baby monitor, it enables you to hear every little sound thats going on in the kennels, at first you will be kept awake by all these wee sounds but you soon learn to filter it out and only focus on specific noises, just as a concerned mother would when listening to the baby monitor for a baby.

 

Think about delivery drivers and workmen, which parts of the yard/house/garden etc can they get access to? Also what areas of your house/yard/garden can people passing in the street see? If you have puppies for sale/advertised and potential buyers come to view them, think about what message you want to be sending to the people. They may not be genuine buyers, they may be coming to look at your pups to case the place out!! If you take them down to the shed at the bottom of the garden and show them a mum and pups, they may think to themselves they will just pay you a visit that same night and remove the rest of the litter If buyers are coming to view pups, try to have them in a secure area, an indoor utility room, garage, outbuilding or shed which has a padlock clearly displayed on the door, is close to the lighting and security cameras and which will generally give a potential theif the message that these pups will not be quite so easy to pinch.

 

Finally the dogs themselves, take plenty of pictures of your dogs so that you can provide a clear photo if the worst does happen. Get them tatoooed and microchipped and keep the contact details up to date. If your dogs wear collars put spay/neuter tags on them to give the impression they are pets only.

 

None of these things alone will prevent or deter theft, but add them all together and you have a formidable defence against dog theft

 

Thanks for reading

[Simoman 110]

Some very good points Sarah

[LDR 29]

good advice!!!!

[desertdog 149]

good advice!!!!

excellent piece of advice

[Irish Lurcher 1,013]

Thank you for the advice

 

If it saves only one dog from been stolen then you have done a good job

[Guest SJM]

If anyone wants their dogs tattooing I can do for free, Im in the south scotland area but I would travel to someone if they paid my fuel expenses, its easiest doing litters of pups as the tattoo looks bigger and better on the adult dog because it grows and stretches with the ear. I can also do microchipping at cost (£5) but dont have any chips in at the moment, I usually tend to order them in boxes of 10 as and when I need them so if enough people want it done, I will order a box.

 

One final thing I forgot to add is if your kennels do not have roofs on them, put roofs on them. It makes it harder for a theif to climb up the sides and into the run and then hand the dogs out to an accomplice waiting outside.

 

Anything you can do to slow a theif down or make stealing dogs hard for them, do it

Edited June 27, 2008 by SJM

[Irish Lurcher 1,013]

If anyone wants their dogs tattooing I can do for free, Im in the south scotland area but I would travel to someone if they paid my fuel expenses, its easiest doing litters of pups as the tattoo looks bigger and better on the adult dog because it grows and stretches with the ear. I can also do microchipping at cost (£5) but dont have any chips in at the moment, I usually tend to order them in boxes of 10 as and when I need them so if enough people want it done, I will order a box.

 

One final thing I forgot to add is if your kennels do not have roofs on them, put roofs on them. It makes it harder for a theif to climb up the sides and into the run and then hand the dogs out to an accomplice waiting outside.

 

Anything you can do to slow a theif down or make stealing dogs hard for them, do it

 

Top lad in my eyes,

[Guest SJM]

Erm Im not a lad but cheers anyway

[Guest wex]

Top girl.

[Simoman 110]

Erm Im not a lad but cheers anyway

 

 

Its the beard thats confused him

[Irish Lurcher 1,013]

Thats what I said, super top girl

[frost 4]

Would be interested in you chipping my dogs.Let me know when you have chips again cheers.Frost

Erm Im not a lad but cheers anyway

[skycat 6,174]

That's a very kind offer SJ: my vets are now charging £22 per dog to chip them! Wish I lived nearer to you.

 

On the other hand, if anyone living in Cambridgeshire or thereabouts wants their dogs chipped, there is an Animal Shelter near Huntingdon which runs chipping courses for dog wardens and the like: they always need dogs for their students to practice on and chip, so you just take your dog along there and you get it chipped for free: all the paperwork and everything. Give me a pm if you are interested. Obviously I'll need to find out when the courses are being run, which I shall do asap as I have a couple of youngsters not yet done.

[Simoman 110]

The CAW skycat? I've done numerous short courses there over the years............

[Guest SJM]

Hi Frost, it will probably be around the end of July/Aug I will pm you and let you know