Dog theft. It’s real, it’s horrible, and it can happen to almost any dog owner.
Research by the Kennel Club reveals that during 2020 there were roughly 196 cases of dog theft in the UK each month. That figure is a 7% increase on 2019 volumes. A staggering 98% of offences do not result in a prosecution. Read the full report here.
Direct Line insurance also conducted research and estimated that the total number of dog thefts in 2020 was 2,438, which is roughly seven stolen dogs per day.
No dog owner wants to be a victim of dog theft. For us, even worse is the thought of the trauma the dog will no doubt experience.
Some dog thefts have happy endings, when the dog is found and reunited with their owner, sometimes months or years later. But is it a truly happy ending? There have been plenty of reports of dogs returning with changed behaviours, physical injuries and illnesses, and sometimes clearly traumatized.
This week RC, a Welsh Terrier, was reunited with her owners, 14 months after being stolen from her home address. The search continues for the other three dogs stolen at the same time.
RC was found with urine burns to her legs, her fur was matted with faeces, and she was infested with lice. As she was reunited with her relieved mum she appeared subdued, but over the subsequent days she began to come out of her shell. She had clearly been through a horrific ordeal. Read her DogLost page here, with links to Facebook.
Our motto is that Prevention Is Better Than Found. This case is yet more evidence that we need to learn how to take positive action to prevent dognapping.
HOWL is a movement. We’re biting back against dog thieves by helping dog owners understand the types of things that thieves look out for, and what could make you a target for them. And then we’ll suggest ways to counteract the things that might make you a target. Please have a look at our dog safety tips and see if taking some of these actions could work for you.
The HOWL app is your new walking companion. Thieves hate to be caught; each one hopes they’ll commit the perfect crime. HOWL is here to ruin the concept of the perfect crime.
In the event of an attempted theft whilst you are out with your dog, HOWL operates to send an alert to your chosen emergency contact, and to record direct evidence of the offence. If the thief isn’t deterred, the information captured on HOWL will help you to get the word out quickly; time really is of the essence where a stolen dog is concerned.
Evidence is vital if we are to stand a chance of securing the return of stolen dogs, and identifying and prosecuting offenders. So upon activation HOWL will record the date, time and precise location, and will start recording a video; you might just capture vital footage that could assist the police.
HOWL will be available on the App Store from February 2021. You’ll pay a one-off fee of just 99p for HOWL, and then it’s yours for as long as you want it. Your chosen emergency contact(s) will also need to purchase it. But that’s all you’ll ever pay; there are no subscription fees, no in-app purchases. Nothing.
Watch this space for more updates!