...and how to prevent itHow they get stolenThe majority of Bulldogs we get wind of, who have been stolen or go missing, were left unattended inside a fenced yard. If you live in a neighborhood, imagine all of the people who pass by your home on a daily basis. This is like dangling a diamond bracelet on your fence, don't tempt people by dangling your bulldog alone in the yard.
Another problem is leaving them in your vehicle. By the time you grab a cart at the grocery store and venture into the bread isle, someone could have put their elbow through your window and taken your dog. Not only that, but cars get muggy even in the winter, do not risk your dog dying from either heat or from getting overworked from nerves due to all of the people passing and possibly tapping on the glass. This again is you basically advertising to a thief and someone could have fallen in love with your Bullie through the window at the stoplight and followed you to the store.
Craving a Starbucks while walking your pooch? Don't even think of tying your dog up outside, not even if you can see them, not even if it is just for a second. I know what you are thinking, who on earth would you leave a Bulldog tied on a sidewalk?... Well some do. Hopefully there is a drive through, even if the sign says "no service on foot" it would be a better option to try.
Safeguarding your BullieNo one wants to think about someone stealing their Bullie baby, but it happens, so you MUST think about it.
First and foremost, I feel like a broken record here, but please microchip your dog! No excuses; they do not cost too much, it is not traumatizing to the dog, your dog does NOT have to be under anesthesia to do it, and they are not a health risk. If money is tight, there are many low cost microchip clinic through out the year in every area. If you are in the Seattle area come to Slobberfest in a couple weeks and get them done there!
Never allow your dog to roam free
Always make sure your dog is wearing a collar with proper identification when he leaves the house, just in case he gets lost and a good person picks him up. Please remember if your dog is vaccinated, you should have the tags from them or something inscribed on the name tag saying they are up to date. If your dog is picked up by animal control, most shelters vaccinate strays upon arrival to try and prevent outbreaks just in case a dog they get is not vaccinated. The last thing you want is your dog being picked up by animal control and being over vaccinated, which can cause major long term health issues or in some cases, death.
Keep recent photos of your dog, taken from different angles that clearly show coloring, closeups of the face and any other identifying features just in case your dog
is stolen.
Also keep all of your ownership papers together in one place, including the adoption contract or breeder contract, bill of sale, vet records, and microchip paperwork.
Extra tips and tricksAttach a bell on the inside of your fence gates, so you know each time someone opens them.
Take the time to meet your neighbors, you don't have to have block parties with them, but getting to know your neighbors and being on good terms with them could work in your favor someday. Neighbors watch what you do anyway. You never know, the man across the street may have a gun collection he has been just waiting to scare a thief with.
If you have a chain link fence, consider installing the strips of plastic available for them. This will make it harder for people to notice your bullie as they pass by.
Why they get stolenMoney- if your dog is not chipped there is nothing preventing anyone from selling them and no one ever really knowing
Breeding- If your dog is intact, which as we all know is very obvious if your Bullie is male, someone will steel it just to breed. They could care less about AKC and may not even know what it is frankly. Not planning on breeding, but feel there is no need to have them fixed... wrong, being intact makes them more of a target.
Bait- This is another thing no one wants to think about, but people frequently steal bulldogs to use as bait-dogs for dog fighting. I do not think there is a need to elaborate.
Lab Testing- Some people do make a living stealing dogs and selling them to animal testing facilities. This is called "random source collection," the U.S. Department of Agriculture licenses individuals to sell animals to laboratories. They are not supposed to
steal them but they do.
There are two types of licenses; Class A and Class B. Class A are commercial breeders. Class B are people who obtain dogs and other animals from various sources. The USDA investigates to ensure the animals are legally obtained. However, this is not fool proof and pets are being stolen and sold for profit by Class B licensees (they are called "bunchers"). A bill, HR 594, is under consideration now in Congress to eliminate Class B licenses.If your dog is stolen or goes missingTry not to panic, this will only make the steps you need to take harder.
First call friends and family to help you, you cannot do it alone.
Have one person tell your neighbors, and pass out flyers if you can make them.
Contact the microchip company and flag your dog's identification number as
Stolen/Missing. If your dog is injured and taken to a vet they should scan them for a chip and your dog will come up as
Missing or Stolen. Many chip companies have an automatic program that sends out emails and messages when a pet is flagged as missing so all of the vets in the area should get information on your missing dog as well as the thousands of citizens who sign up with chip companies to help when there are lost pets in their area. Check with your chip company to see what they offer, HomeAgain has a great program where you can also keep a photo of your pet in the system and when you mark them as missing, you can print ready-made Missing flyers with the click of a button. This is the same flyer, the citizens will be sent who sign up to help.
Contact us, or another local Bulldog Rescue if you are not in our area. We get contacted regularly about Missing and Found Bulldogs. This is also the same reason to contact us if you or someone you know finds a Bulldog or a Frenchie.
Contact or visit the local Shelters. Bring them a flyer; some also have memo boards where you can post flyers. Usually they will not go check to see if they have someone's lost dog over the phone, but if it is a Bulldog or a Frenchie they will probably know when one comes through the door and may be able to tell you.
Post lost ads with the following sites: www.petfinder.com (they have a public ad area with a section for missing pets)
www.missingpet.net
www.Findfido.com www.craigslist.org (the Pet section & the Lost section under Community) www.dogdetective.comALWAYS include a photo of your dog in the ad if possibleWe hope that no one loses their Bulldog, but in the chance you do we want you to be prepared. The first 24 hours are the most crucial.**See some of the missing Bulldogs & Frenchies on our site**
| Breeds Most Likely to be Stolen | Highest # of Dog Thefts by City |
- Am. Pit Bull Terrier
- Chihuahua
- Labrador Retriever
- Yorkshire Terrier
- Shih Tzu
- Pomeranian
- Boxer
- Bulldog - English
- Siberian Husky
- German Shepherd
| | - houston
- Los Angeles
- San Antonio
- Miami
- dallas
- CHICAGO
- phoenix
- Indianapolis
- Wichita
- las vegas
| |
| Colors Most Likely to be Stolen | Highest # of Dog Thefts by State |
- Brown & White
- Black & White
- White
- Gold/Yellow/Tan
- Black & Brown
- Black
- Black & Gold/Tan
- Gray & White
- Brown & Black&White
- Red
| | - California
- Texas
- Florida
- Georgia
- North Carolina
- New York
- Arizona
- Washington
- Illinois
- Ohio
| |
Note: Statistics are based on dogs reported as stolen to
DogDetective.com in the past two years.
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