In 2021, Lady Gaga's two French Bulldogs, Koji and Gustav, were stolen. Sadly, this statistic continues to rise, with dog thefts alone increasing by 40% since then. Because pet thefts continue to increase, as a pet parent, it’s important to understand which animals are targeted and why they become stolen, how to protect your pet from being a statistic, and what to do if your companion is taken. 

According to various sources including AKC Reunite, the following is a list of animals sought after by criminals:

Dogs: Small breeds, like French Bulldogs, Chihuahuas, and Yorkshire Terriers. These breeds are often targeted due to their high value and portability. Larger breeds, such as Golden Retrievers, Bulldogs and Pitbulls may also be stolen for breeding or other purposes.   

Cats: Certain cat breeds, like Bengals, Ragdolls, and Sphynx are attractive to thieves because of their associated expensive costs. 

Horses: Horses are sometimes stolen for their value, either for resale or for use in illegal activities. Horses and other larger farm animals are also stolen for their meat.

Exotic animals: Birds (like parrots and macaws), reptiles (like snakes and lizards), and even small mammals (like ferrets, sugar gliders, and yes, even otters) can be targets for theft, often for the exotic pet trade. 

Motivations Behind Pet Theft and Why Pets are Stolen

Pets are often stolen due to financial gain, personal gratification, and mental health issues. 

As mentioned previously, high-value purebred dogs and their offspring can generate criminals' profit. Unfortunately, animal fighting rings are also included in this category. Many animals are sought after and trafficked into these horrendous environments for greed. 

Pet scams are on the rise with access to the internet and social media. Some of these scams include fake listings for pets that don’t exist. Worse, thieves will steal pets and pretend to find them, sometimes demanding a reward or ransom. 

Besides financial gain, animals are stolen for personal gratification. This includes seeking companionship and replacement due to loneliness or loss of a pet. The thief may believe having a companion, even if stolen, would fulfill a void.

A thief may also be encountering mental health issues which can include kleptomania. Kleptomania is a thrill-seeking behavior that gives the thief an adrenaline rush associated with committing a crime. Many of these criminals associated lack empathy and often have the inability to understand the emotional pain pet parents endure by these thefts. 

How To Protect Your Pet from Being Stolen

Preventative measures can be taken at home such as securing the property. Suggestions to deter criminals from entering include fencing, lighting, and security cameras. With fencing, the height and ability to see through a chain-link fence versus an opaque vinyl fence and reduce visibility, including removing any escape routes. 

Criminals often work in the dark and with motion-sensor lights, this can help deter any nighttime activity. With lighting around the perimeter that activates with motion, it will highlight any areas of opportunity that a criminal might try to enter. It’s important to illuminate areas for security cameras as well. 

With technology advancing today, security cameras are a great tool for capturing suspicious behavior including thieves. Should a pet be taken without permission, the security cameras can capture the event through video recording, often getting details of the thieves' features, including vehicles that can provide personal information such as a license plate to help owners reunite with their loved ones later on. 

While in public with your companion, be aware of your surroundings. Some animals have higher intuition about a person’s character and can display signs such as running away and hiding. It’s important to pay attention to people who may show excessive interest. If something feels suspicious, trust these instincts. 

Never leave pets unattended either at home or in public. This includes walking them with a secure leash and harness. Expensive collars or tags could also attract unwanted attention and it’s best to avoid displaying them in a high crime area. 

Simple Steps to Prove Your Pet’s Identity

Microchipping: registering your pet with up-to-date contact information can be beneficial if a stolen companion gets loose or is identified during an arrest. Microchips will not become separated such as a thrown-out collar.

Collar and tags: your pet should have a secure collar with identification tags which include a phone number and address. Should a microchip be accidentally missed, this serves as a crucial step to reuniting parents with their pets.

Photos and documentation: keep updated photos of your pet and their distinguishing features such as a particular scar or fur patch color. This and veterinary records will be helpful in proving ownership. 

What To Do If Your Pet Is Stolen

• Report your stolen pet immediately to the local police department. Include the photos and documentation as mentioned above. 

• Contact local humane societies and animal shelters. Many have a small stray hold window before they are adopted back out to the public. 

• Use social media such and local networks to share photos and information about your stolen pet. Facebook has many groups specifically for lost and stolen pets. Pawboost is another platform that can push notifications to other volunteers in the area to help keep an eye out for a stolen pet. 

• Be persistent. Do not give up hope in looking for a stolen pet. 

By bringing awareness to the community regarding the pet thief industry, pet parents can take necessary steps to identify what criminals view as potential targets, understand how to integrate better systems to prevent their pet from being stolen, be able to prove an animal’s identity and what actions to take if a companion is stolen. 

Written By Heather McLaren 

Owner of Advanced Animal Transport