dog thieves in our area

recentley theres has been a gang stealing staffies in our area for dog fighting I'm so scared incase someone is watching our house as rocko is always at the window he is so friendly and thinks everyone is his friend, theyre putting stickers on peoples garden gates for dogs to be taken I dont even take him to shop with me anymore as im too frightened to leave him outside.
I think this is totally disguisting the police are doing nothing about it these poor animals are being used for there fun and money if this happened to my rocko who is my baby I would hunt them down and torture them.
the police have been given the van and number plate and still nothing has been done.

Horrible just keep a close eye on him, don't let him outside in the yard unless you're watching him, etc.

It's awful and unfortunately it seems to be happening everywhere Never ever leave him outside a shop alone it is just too dangerous.. Keep a close eye on Rocko and your neighbourhood and home for anyone suspicious

This is so sad I wouldnt know what to do if my pooch was taken, again i think most staffies would wonder off with someone else, they think everyones is their best friend. Leaving Rocko outside a shop if faaar to risky! Is anyone aware of any other areas where this is happening?

Its happening lot in the south but they are mainly targeting working dogs to either breed from or sell on. Generaly its a nationwide problem as the scum have realised that they can make easy money from peoples pets. In some cases they even wait for a reward to be put up and claim that.

You can pre register here if your worried http://www.doglost.co.uk/ its a really good site and if something does happen you activate your add and you will have an army of volounteers looking for your dog in your area. Its really sad to see how many get lost/stolen each day

Romeo would go with any one as well... i dont DARE leave him alone ever for any reason, i'm so affraid that some one might steal him for any reason.

Thanks for the info Nathan, having a look at that website now.

My Rotty was too soft as well, he was never left alone, he was well known in our area as a big softy so the risk was high, but he was my best buddy so he never left my side anyway

It's happening everywhere a lot at the moment. It's awful.

i live just outside glasgow hes always on a lead as its a shared garden and my neighbours dog doesnt like him so i tend to take him a walk when he needs out on the lead the only time hes off the lead is when we go to the farmers field up the road, a womans staffie in my area was nearly taken but the dog wriggled free she phoned police but again they done nothing.
I dont know if hed go off with a stranger I cant even go to toilet without him wanting to come lol hes a mummys boy follows me everywhere.

I know what i would like to be seen done to these scum, however I cannot possibly say here so will leave it to the imagination. Do not let Rocko out of your sight for a moment.

If you see any of the stickers remove them and inform the police.

i know these ppl need to b caught. i've been very careful with him hes very protective tho the minute the door goes he goes mental barking youd think he was scary but hes just protecting us the minute someone comes in hes wagging his tail lol

About the stickers...are they a specific sticker orrr...?? (I know this seems like a daft question, but just so i know what to look out for)

Hi they are taking squeaky toys in the woods and beach in my area then when the dogs run to them they are taking the dogs. I live in new Romney Kent,

they are putting white stickers on gates or paint theyre using a white renault van. rocko never out my sight i usually take him walk and run about woods but my other half not wanting me down there incase someone tries and takes him off me.

Probably best to walk in very busy areas with lots of people about but keep your dogs on the leads.

I am really shocked by this. What do the stickers say? Could you write to your MP? Who are these people?

This is crazy!! Using toys as well! No where seems safe anymore

theyre just plain white stickers so they know what house to go back to.
i know theyre not safe anymore rocko is on a lead at all times anyway.

Rupertsbooks wrote:I am really shocked by this. What do the stickers say? Could you write to your MP? Who are these people?

It is a well known fact that dog theft is on the increase and we should all be on our guard, one of the reasons is probably because the scrapyards are no longer allowed to pay cash for metal, meaning the dirty tieving pikeys can't shift stolen cables as their address will be obtainable along with their name, so they resort to stealing dogs and use them for gambling purposes or breeding, either way the dogs will innevitably thrown into the pit.

Whats not helping is idiots posting ridiculous things on social media sights, the sticker one, it started off that gangs were finding dogs and placing a certain colour sticker for a certain build of dog, somebody would then come round later that day and steal the dog.It apparently started in Chesterfield, however Chesterfield police force, nor any other police force in the country have any evidence or reports to say such thing is happening.

On to the van, A van was seen around Doncaster stealing dogs, a Ford Transit in which the registration number had a "U" as the last digit, immediately suspicious as the only plates I've seen a "U" on are irish, and this plate was UK I run it through 3 databases, unsurprisingly not only did the vehicle fail to show any insurance, mot or tax it also appeared to not exist, I then refused to share the post as it was bull, a real criminal would not get past a single copper without that van flagging the ANPR, it wouldn't last a day, and criminals are clever enough to clone a genuine plate and have very little chance of being stopped. Yesterday the same van, and reg number are apparently stealing dogs, in cornwall, 300 miles away.

Ever hear the story of the 2 Polish women in Asda, who grabbed a little girl and took her into the toilets to then shave her head and disguise her as a little boy, of course you've heard it, it happened in every Asda in the country, funny how Asda/nor the police had heard anything about it.

Just be carefull, choose where and when you walk your dog sensibly, keep him on the lead if you're worried and just don't let him out of your sight, but don't make things harder for yourself by believing the horror stories you read on social media, if it's true it will be on your local police forces website and on the press' websites.

If it's on facebook and nowhere else, it's probably bull.

Still think you should write to your mp. Let us know if we can help. I would try and photograph any evidence and perhaps make up a sticker yourself which you can stick in your window saying something like "Dog thieves, we are on to you." Like Neighbourhood Watch stickers.

Where do these dog fights take place? On traveller sites? Have any of you ever intercepted one? Do the police?

Whenever any rumours like these start going around on facebook I always check out hoaxslayer.com. Apparently the stories about puttting stickers on the fence and to be on the lookout for a white van are completely false. Nevertheless people still need to make sure their dogs are safe. A dog has gone missing in my area who was left out in the front garden - something I would never do. It only takes a minute for somebody to entice them away.

Rupertsbooks wrote:

Where do these dog fights take place? On traveller sites? Have any of you ever intercepted one? Do the police?

When bull baiting/dog fighting was made illegal (I believe in the 1800's) both continued for some time after, eventually it was clamped down on hard, because it was almost impossible to hide a bull ring dog fighting became the favourite as it could be done in a much smaller space, usually in a pit (hence "pit bull"). It was and probably still is done on traveller sites, farm buildings and discreet back gardens in the countryside. The chances of intercepting one are slim to none as these kind of things are kept very low key, unless you're pally with the right kind of scumbag you will probably never know where they are taking place.