The American Kennel Club recently released its annual ranking of the most popular breeds — and for would-be dognappers, it’s a hit list for purloined puppy profits.
The French bulldog, the Pembroke Welsh corgi, the bichon frise and the Norwegian Lundehund epitomize the size, popularity and rarity that thieves prize most highly during a pandemic-influenced demand for canine affection, dog experts say.
“Small-breed, purebred dogs are most prone to dognapping because they are easier and more lucrative to resell,” said Dr. Zac Pilossoph, a consulting veterinarian at the nonprofit Healthy Paws Foundation. “In addition to breed predilection, thieves may also target dogs that are friendly and tame because they’re easier to snatch and people are more likely to repurchase a friendly dog.”
No law enforcement agency or advocacy group tracks U.S. dog thefts, but the American Kennel Club, Adopt-a-Pet.com and other pet advocates have noted a trend in thefts of rare but popular purebred dogs.
PetKeen, an online pet guide run by veterinarians, reports that French bulldogs are the breed most likely to be stolen in the U.S. The dogs can fetch up to $10,000 apiece.
Five people in Los Angeles face charges in last year’s theft of Lady Gaga’s French bulldogs. Her dog walker was shot in the incident.
The next most stolen breeds, in descending order: English bulldogs, Yorkshire terriers, Chihuahuas, German shepherds, Maltese, Shih Tzus, Labrador retrievers, poodles and Siberian huskies.
Marking a dog with identifying information and details remains the best way to prevent theft and reunite stolen pooches with their owners, advocates say.
Professionals agree that microchipping a dog — a painless process of inserting a rice-sized smart chip under the skin to transmit the owner’s name, telephone number and address — has become the best way to catch snatch-and-grab thieves.
According to the American Veterinary Medical Association, more than half of microchipped dogs make it home. Just 22% of dogs without microchips are reunited with owners.
Dr. Pilossoph, who has worked at emergency animal hospitals in different parts of the country, said he routinely checks lost and unidentified pets for microchips.
“Sadly, I have noticed most do not have microchips at all, or a microchip is present but the information is not registered and kept up to date,” the veterinarian said.
The American Kennel Club cites statistics that put the number of stolen dogs at around 2 million a year.
When demand for dogs skyrocketed at the start of coronavirus lockdowns two years ago, fake pet websites multiplied, the Better Business Bureau reported. The agency said almost 4,000 Americans and Canadians paid online scammers in 2020 for dogs that never arrived. That was nearly five times the number in 2017.
In an emergency alert this month, the nonprofit Adopt-a-Pet warned owners to take added precautions, including keeping photos of their pets off social media, not allowing cellphones to distract them while walking dogs and not leaving dogs tied up outside.
“As reports of violent pet theft rise around the nation, it’s important for pet owners to be vigilant,” Abbie Moore, the web service’s chief operating officer, said in a statement.
The alert also advises owners to pair up with other dog walkers in their neighborhoods for safety, consider taking an online self-defense class and keep microchips registered and up to date.
“Americans are desperate for animal companionship during COVID lockdowns, and at the same time, supply has fallen in many parts of the country,” the Adopt-a-Pet alert states. “Thieves are taking brazen action to steal dogs, not just from backyards but also from people who are out walking their dogs. And those dogs are then being sold, sometimes on street corners, but sometimes on classified sites.”
Meanwhile, the American Kennel Club, which registers purebred pedigrees in the U.S., reported on Feb. 26 that many thieves engage in “dog flipping” by claiming to be the owners of lost pets and then selling the animals as rescues.
Only a handful of states — including California, Virginia, New York and Oklahoma — have stiffened penalties for dog theft to include prison time and thousands of dollars in fines.
That makes dog theft a low-risk gamble for criminals who notice a friendly, small dog unattended in a window or yard.
“These types of dogs are easy to grab and run with,” said Tom Sharp, president and CEO of AKC Reunite.
Karin TarQwyn, a private investigator in Nebraska who specializes in missing pets, told Time magazine in a March 12 article that telephone calls to her small agency about missing French bulldogs have increased 60% to 70% over the past 18 months, to about three to five each week.
Such reports make it essential for pet boarders and groomers to check for documentation and paperwork on purebreds, some advocates say.
“I believe these dogs are being targeted for financial gain through dog trafficking,” said Katie Hanke, owner of Grateful Grooming in Athens, Georgia. “Purebreds of any breed generally have a pretty large price tag placed on them.”
According to the American Pet Products Association’s 2021-2022 national survey, 69 million American households own at least one dog. There were 89.7 million dogs in the US in 2017, according to the association.
• Sean Salai can be reached at ssalai@washingtontimes.com.
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