I’ve always been careful about taking risks with pets in my care. When dog owners are happy to let their dogs off I follow their lead as it were. I prefer to have dogs on an extendable lead so they get some slack but can be brought to heel quickly if necessary. I’d never tie one up outside a shop while I went in and left it unattended , for example.
According to an article in the paper in the UK these were the total thefts of breeds listed by popularity in one year. French Bulldogs have gone up by a third in a year as the most popular dog to steal… I suppose they are on the small side and very cute. They are also one very likely to be seen at the vet’s for breathing issues and other problems due to inbreeding … the high bills are making them popular as re homers too!
Dogs that are pedigree or designer mixes are also getting very expensive to buy. I met a Goldendoodle that was £2,000!
Some dogs on the black market go for large sums which is why they are stolen so often as well as for puppy farms.
Here’s the list of the top ten with the number of thefts for each breed in one year in UK.
Hang on tight to those pooches! I don’t know about the cat figures but I know top pedigree ones are much sought after…
I am careful also with my own dog. Dog theft is, although maybe not common as such, then sure a thing. I’ve even read about a dog and her whole litter being stolen from a home, in addition to the more expected - being stolen from garden or on a leash outside a store.
The monetary value is, I believe, not so much the dog itself but the value of the dog breeding breeds and mixes that can get good prices. Doodles is a good example as they some places are sold for higher prices than the registered and regulated breeding of FCI breeds. This is also an animal welfare issue, as this kind of breeding often use dogs that are barely puppies themselves - too young - or they get too many litters and/ or too often, which would not be allowed for kennel club breeding. So buyers have a big responsibility for the choices they make buying a pet. Sorry, off-topic… 
Seems that ugly dogs are back in fashion!
(Ducks to avoid rotten tomatoes being thrown)
XL bullies? One drug dealer stealing from another, I guess.
On a more serious note, I don’t know how common dog theft really is, but I would also never leave a dog (of any breed) tied up outside a shop, even for a minute. I just couldn’t face the risk of it being stolen.
I initially thought electronic trackers were a bind but now I think they help to retrieve information about the dog’s movements and improve chances of recovering the animal. It’s important that animals are chipped and have the right address. Collars with phone numbers are also helpful.
Losing a dog is such a heartache for pet and owner and their family. It’s also an expensive loss in many cases now too. It reminds me how much responsibility we are bearing on our shoulders … apart from the house and garden!
How come you initially thought trackers were a bind? Over-zealous HOs observing Fido’s walk route/duration?
Yes Rhe that was one issue and they didn’t always register… sometimes it was charging and I neglected to put it back on the harness. It took a while to get used to it.
But it does provide evidence of times out with the dog and covers your back too! Although off lead the dogs may get a lot more exercise than the walker!
yes, I have a step-counter and like to keep an eye on that, and often wonder how many more steps the dogs get in, especially cocker spaniels etc who go tearing off at 100mph
Rhe Border Collies and Vizslas are up there too!
I did a 25 mile walk in the Lake District called High Street it was a Roman road originally, and the Border Collie was running from back to the front permanently and I wondered how many miles he had done ! He was still full of beans at the end too!