How to prevent dog theft
Dog theft in the UK is at a 7-year high
Dog theft at highest rate
Dog theft is on the rise in the UK. Since 2015 Direct Line Pet Insurance has been monitoring UK dog theft statistics, and in April 2022 they reported on dog theft in 2021: dog theft has reached a seven-year high, with 2,760 thefts reported. That’s a 13% increase on the figures for dog theft in 2020.
Why is dog theft on the rise?
Dogs are stolen for several reasons. The price of puppies increased dramatically during and after lockdown; for that reason, some dogs were stolen to order, to be sold on to those who would pay high prices for them. So money is an obvious motivator in those cases. Other dogs are stolen for more nefarious reasons that we won’t go into here.
Google searches for “dog theft near me” and similar, are increasing in number. People are concerned. And they quite sensibly want to know what they can do to prevent dog theft.
Take a look on our Tips page to learn more about what you can do to prevent your dog being stolen. You’ll find information there about how your video doorbell might deter a dog thief who plans to steal your dog from your home, and how to keep your dog safe when you’re getting out of your car at a walking spot.
But how to prevent dog theft on walks?
You’re probably most vulnerable during dog walks. And that’s where our HOWL app comes in.
Download our HOWL app and use it each time you walk your dog. You’ll get maximum functionality when your emergency contact also has the HOWL app, because they’ll be able to monitor your whereabouts, and receive a notification if you HOWL for help.
If you have an emergency contact with the HOWL app:
Tap “start walk” when you start your dog walk, and share the unique code with your contact. Then walk as usual. Be vigilant, as you would during any other walk. If you see someone or something that concerns you, tap “concerned”. HOWL will send a notification to your emergency contact.
If an incident occurs, or someone approaches you or your dog, tap 3 times to activate HOWL. The HOWL app will do these things:
- Sound an alarm from your phone;
- Activate the video camera;
- Record the date, time, and precise location of the incident; and
- Send a notification to your emergency contact; they'll be able to see your what3words location and come to your aid.
Thieves hate to be caught. Even for the most minor offence, they don’t want to be arrested. So they certainly don’t want to be arrested for something more serious, such as dog theft. By capturing evidence of the date, time and location, along with the possibility of some video footage, you’re increasing the chances of the offender(s) being identified and detained. Dog thieves definitely don’t want that, and it’s a dog theft deterrent.
If your dog is stolen, you’ll want to get the word out quickly, and start work to recover your dog. HOWL holds your dog’s details (microchip details, distinguishing features, etc) so that you don’t have to waste time gathering information. And all of this stays on your phone, not even accessible to us, until you choose to share it.
Finally, the evidence captured by HOWL could help the police to identify the offender(s) and then the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) to prosecute those responsible. HOWL has been designed by a former criminal defence solicitor, to bite back against dog thieves, whilst also taking into account the laws of evidence.
Please download HOWL today, familiarise yourself with its functionality, and use it each time you go for a dog walk. Our mantra is that Prevention Is Better Than Found. If you agree, please join our movement to empower dog lovers to bite back against dog thieves.