Do you worry about dog theft? Just learned about "Class B" dealers

[painted_ponies]

OK, I don't believe everything the Humane Society tells me. But I've noticed these homemade signs popping up at some of the country stores near me, promising to find homes for unwanted dogs/litters of puppies and saying they will also to take dogs in need of veterinary care and provide it to them at no cost to the former owner.

 

After doing some reading I wonder if we have a "buncher," someone who obtains dogs through fraudulent means for free and sells them for biomedical research to a "Class B dealer." Here's a link to an article with information on this practice: http://www.hsus.org/animals_in_research/ge...wn_and_out.html

 

Now I know that HSUS has spread a few urban legends in the past, but I wonder if this one might not be true, since there have been arrests of people dealing in research animals in which lost pets have been confiscated.

 

So do y'all worry about this? Do you leave your BC outdoors during the day when you're not home?

[juliepoudrier]

Sally,

I never leave my dogs out unattended when I am not home. Not because I'm particularly worried about bunchers and Class B dealers (though that could be a problem), but because I don't want to give anyone an opportunity to mess with or take my dogs. Prime example of the former: a farmer is renting the pole barn behind my house so he can hang tobacco to dry in it. They are now taking the tobacco down and stripping the leaves. The other day, the farmer apparently brought chicken to the workers for their lunch. When I got home and was poop scooping the yard, I discovered a bunch of chicken bones the workers had very "kindly" thrown over the fence, no doubt thinking my dogs would enjoy them. I'm glad I got to the bones first. I called the farmer and asked him to ask his workers not to throw anything into my fenced yard. I hope they listen, but now I feel compelled to check the yard before letting the dogs out when I get home. But at least if the dogs aren't out there, it's more likely I'll find things like the chicken bones before they do.

 

As for Class B dealers, one of the reasons I have my dogs tattooed quite prominently is that I think it *might* help prevent thefts, etc., for that purpose as a lab shouldn't (that doesn't meant it won't happen, but I'm trying to increase the odds it won't) be buying animals that are clearly marked. If I had to leave dogs out in kennels while I was at work, the kennels would have locks on. Again, not because I'm really afraid of bunchers and the like, but rather because I don't want *anyone* bothering my animals.

 

J.

[painted_ponies]

Thanks Julie. I haven't been leaving mine out unattended until recently, when Faith had to be quarantined and it was either leave her crated in a bedroom all day or put her out in her little pen. With the grown-ups, it works out to let Violet spend the workday in her crate while little dogs have the run of the house and then at night little dogs are boxed up and Violet's loose in the house. But of course Faith's too young to trust indoors uncrated and unsupervised and will be for quite awhile yet.

 

I could of course just put a padlock on her covered pen, but I'd think anyone who came prepared to steal dogs would bring along a pair of bolt-cutters. So I'm not sure if a lock would assuage my worries.

 

Kind of funny to think of someone stealing a puppy that no one wanted for so long. But between those creepy signs at the stores and what seems to me more "lost dog" signs on phone poles than usual, I'm nervous.

 

I'm thinking about maybe buying a Great Dane-sized crate like Violet has and putting it next to Violet's, so even though Faith would be more restricted than I'd like she won't feel isolated.

[Guest TheRuffMuttGang]

If you can stomach it, try getting your hands on a copy of HBO's documentary "Dealing Dogs."

 

http://www.hbo.com/docs/programs/dealingdogs/index.html

[Nik]

I live in a small town where that kind of stuff doesn't really go on. As far as I know anyway. But I don't leave my dogs out (unless its a 5 min. trip to the local store) because of the fear that someone who comes near the gate of the fence will not heed the warning signs that my dogs don't care for strangers. I don't want to put my dogs at risk for being taken away or being put down because of something like that. Well one more reason also....my dad seems to be a bit scatterbrained at times and if I'm not here when they are in the yard, there's a good chance a gate may or may not get closed properly when he comes and goes I don't want them to get out and chase cars. I have had someone literally unlatch their gate and let them out before when noone was home. From that point on I don't leave them out anymore.

 

Back to the subject at hand though, that really is a scary thought that someone would "steal" a dog to sell to research centers.

[smileyzookie]

We live right next to a school so kids are always coming around. We dont have a fenced yard, so we have Rivens long lead tied to our porch and let her out to potty on that. We would NEVER let her stay out there for fear of getting hurt and fear of people coming from the park (behind our house) and from the school(beside our house) stealing or annoying her.

[Liz P]

I have a copy of Dealing Dogs. I cried the whole way through. If I had seen that happen in person I would not have been able to stop myself from doing something.

[painted_ponies]

There's no way I could watch it, I'm sure - I'd be a wreck.

 

I went and bought Faith her very own grown-up sized crate, which she slept in last night. She gets out for about three hours in the morning before I leave for work, and then she can go back out after DH gets home for about four hours. Not as much playtime as I'd like, but needs must.

 

Nik - it doesn't get any smaller than where I live, which is really just a crossroads. But we've got bunchers here! I'd never have believed it if I hadn't seen the ads myself. But I guess it makes sense for the bunchers to go to rural low-income areas, where most people have dogs and many can't afford to spay/neuter or feed the resulting litters. Happy hunting grounds for 'em, I reckon.

[maedog]

Around here another reason not to leave your dogs out unattended is theft for dog fighting. Even being home may not prevent this from happening! My roommate and I WERE home (several years ago)and his sheltie was out (Mae was in with me) and somone took his dog right out of our yard. From what I've been told (by a friend who is a cop), they steal dogs to use to train other dogs to fight. Big sport around here. :mad:

[muddy bob]

NEVER would I let our dogs be in the yard unattended. Last year some dogs disappeared in a neighboring county. One was even a service dog.

We lock the front gate when we leave. We have a dog yard with padlock and in the dog yard are the kennels each with its own padlock. I recently microchipped the dogs just to make me feel better.

Same with the horses. ID and padlocked gates. I'm sure someone determined could steal my animals but why would I make it easy for them?

 

muddy

[nancy]

I get nervous when Chuck leaves Fergie in the garage to drink from her outside bowl. If she wants to stay out when I'm doing laundry, Ferg goes on a long rope connected to our kitchen porch. And we are in a neighborhood of ~80 1-acre lots with a 2-acre pond in an 8-acre common area.

 

Not all that concerned that she'd be taken - although I do worry.

 

But she is more likely to go after a squirrel, chase a hawl or vulture tat flies by, investigate a deer or cat or whatever.

[mydogMilton]

I lost a beautiful little black cat when we lived in Aurora IL. We lived near a shady area and one day she just dissapeared... I cried myself to sleep every night. Even though that happened a long time ago I still get a bellyache when I think of her. I LOVE you LUCY, where ever you are!