Lockdown has seen a dramatic rise in opportunistic dognapping because of the potential £5,000 price tag for a dog being too tempting to thieves.
DogLost charity had has reported nearly ten times more dog thefts daily.
During lockdown with little to no contact with other people both those living alone and parents with children naturally want the perfect companion that adorable puppy that loves and cuddles them from day one.
This has led to an explosion in demand for puppies, but because of the waiting times which can be months for legitimate breeders and demand exceeding supply, prices have gone through the roof with some breeds like French bulldogs fetching above £5,000.
This dog trade opportunity hasn’t been missed by criminals both unscrupulous dog breeders and dog thieves and more importantly criminals who are presented with an opportunity when they see a dog sitting outside alone and their owner in the shop.
In 2021 a few new terms has started to be widely used to describe someone that steals a dog, these are Dognapping, Dog Napper and also Dog Mugging or Dog Mugger.
Dog breeders by law have to show both puppies interacting with their mother in their place of birth (Lucy’s Law) this is a new law that came into effect on 6th April 2020 which also means anyone wanting to get a puppy must buy it directly from the breeder.
As the country enters a second lockdown this winter this will only increase demand further and an increase in criminal behaviour.
Whilst there are so many benefits of having a dog, the old saying “a dog is for life not just Christmas” (or lockdown) holds true;
As owners start going back to work and children get back to their previous patterns; having a new dog, feeding, insurance, walking may become a too much of a responsibility, at worst there may be financial pressures with families end up rehoming the new dog; the best advice before buying a dog is to buy a book and understand what will be required.
These are a selection of great books;
- The Right Dog for You, by Daniel F. Tortora
- Perfect Puppy in 7 Days : How to start your puppy off right, by Dr. Sophia Yin.
- Don’t shoot the Dog! The new art of teaching and training, by Karen Pryor
- The puppy Primer, by Patricia B. McConnell and Brenda Scidmore.
All responsible dog owners will have gone through a lot of time, effort and energy before buying a dog, learning what dog will be best for their lifestyle and the lifestyle they can offer the dog. Then the cost of purchasing the dog can run into thousands of pounds as well as the ongoing cost of maintaining the new pet.
If your dog is lost or stolen, the costs mentioned above can be measured and fund found, however it’s impossible to replace the unbreakable bond and love that’s created with what is principally your new family member.
That’s why its important that you safeguard your dog whilst still giving it as much outdoor time next to your side as you can.
Maybe you can remember a time you could leave an unlocked bike outside a shop for a few minutes without worrying about it being stolen, but not anymore, and now this also applies to your loved pet, especially with the price tag an opportunistic criminal (dog napper) can get for your dog, it’s a no brainer to want to make sure if you leave your dog outside a shop, newsagent, café even for a couple of minutes they are secure.
That’s where the DOGTIE Dog Lock helps protect your dog by keeping them secure and safe, the safety dog collar provides you peace of mind whilst your dog is waiting outside knowing they’ll still be there when you return.
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