Dog snatchers!

A guy from work last night warned me that there r dog snatchers in the area! Targeting women walking dogs...and certain breeds.

Apparently someone he knows was walking her Bull Mastiff, two boys stopped in a car and started asking her about the dog - how old? is he chipped? temperament? etc she started feeling a bit worried then a white van pulled up and the boys nodded to the guy in the van, LUCKILY she managed to drag her dog away and get home to phone the police! The police told her they were aware of travelers in the area and theyd already got a few!

Apparently one woman got her dog back two weeks later but it had to put down because it was in such a bad way! It had been cut and used at bait

So needless to say today i just stuck to walking along main roads with my two and was being very vigilant for any dodgy looking vans.

really wish the police would do more to certain types of people! Letting them get away with murder

Wow Hope they catch the scum responsible for it.

Its such a horrible worrying thought, i mean not that i wouldn't be worried if money making dog snatchers were out trying to steal dogs to order or just sell on but at least then the dogs would maybe be going to a home but with this the thought of one my babies being nabbed to either be bait or to be turned into a fighter....OH GOD! doesn't bare thinking about! Specially my Diesel she's so soft and dippit that she'd go with anyone and even if they started hitter her she'd just lick the face of them!! Which means she'd just be used as bait...i literally feel sick just thinking about it (as i cuddle into her tightly)

How awful, I wish they would clamp down on this

I hope they sort this problem out! Why should dog walkers walk in fear of scum, especially travelers!

kita90 wrote: I hope they sort this problem out! Why should dog walkers walk in fear of scum, especially travelers!

Absolutely, because this has happened so close to me i don't feel comfortable letting my dogs off lead anywhere, which means they need to suffer because of it and just get boring on lead walks so they dont get to run and play with each other

It's a thing that happens to frequently around here, and although I shouldn't but it's with things like this that make me thankful that Chance is aggressive to strange people as he is a prime target being the only ambull around the area, he gets alot of attention from the wrong people, and i would hate for him to be taken and end up back in fighting

Ok so in future if I'm asked by an inquiring yob Molly is now very aggressive to strangers and is tagged, really must get the tag thing sorted..

Best bet to just walk away from any yob asks questions other than "whats his/her name?"

definitely just ignore them and walk away!

Ticklymac - Thanks for the heads up! We live in Falkirk aswell and have noticed travellers arriving last week in the wasteland opposite the bus depot in Larbert (just as an FYI)

We've been keeping an eye on Doug when walking in Larbert and now only walk him in other towns ie plean until they leave just to be safe

How awful It's a scary thought

I am sure you are - But be on your guard... Why the police haven't done more is beyond me

This is scary, be careful! It's my worst nightmare that someone will take my baby!

i cant even imagin that happening, let alone it actually happening to some one, its horrible

Frightening story. And the worst thing is the police don't seem to be concerned where dog theft is concerned.

Although, thankfully, dog fighting seems to be less of a problem here in the south of England, I now hear alarm bells ringing when young men are interested in my dog, and start off by asking how old he is. They're probably just Staffy lovers, but .....

I'm sorry to say that I give minimal information and get away ASAP. However, if someone pulled up in a car or van along the road and started asking questions about my dog ALL my alarm bells would go off and hopefully I would memorise the car/van registration number, for all the fat good THAT would do.

We staffy owners shouldn't have to live with this fear, is ANYTHING being done about dog fighting?

KarlyandDoug wrote:Ticklymac - Thanks for the heads up! We live in Falkirk aswell and have noticed travellers arriving last week in the wasteland opposite the bus depot in Larbert (just as an FYI)

We've been keeping an eye on Doug when walking in Larbert and now only walk him in other towns ie plean until they leave just to be safe

KarlyandDoug wrote:Ticklymac - Thanks for the heads up! We live in Falkirk aswell and have noticed travellers arriving last week in the wasteland opposite the bus depot in Larbert (just as an FYI)

We've been keeping an eye on Doug when walking in Larbert and now only walk him in other towns ie plean until they leave just to be safe

Yeh I noticed them there too, my parents stay in Larbert an have seen them pitched them up there a good few times over the years. I think the incident happened in Grangemouth at the wknd.

P.s plean is a really nice walk ay? We take them up there at the wknds sumtimes they love it! Its good just now coz they can cool off in the stream/river

Thats horrible, sends a shiver up my spine just thinking about it. I would be ok if I was with Skibadee, shes a meany with strange people if she feels threatened. But Tali and Kali Mist would probably run up and give them a cuddle. Aw it doesn't bear thinking about

Just the other day i noticed that travellers had pitched up not far from our house, and i turned to my husband and said 'lock up your dogs'.

I am scared to death of someone pinching Louby, we have put an extra bolt on the gate for when she is in the garden, its positioned so that it cant be opened from the top or the bottom. I am sooo paranoid about it. Even though she was running round the streets for 2 days before she found us...

These people make me sick!

We have a terrible problem with dog theft in certain areas around here, mainly SBTs/am staffs although there is also a lot of Husky thefts as well - there is a market for these breeds obviously, however there is a lot of dog fighting is certain areas as well.

The latest 'trend' is people driving around the streets whistling and seeing which dogs come out to the gates/fence - they then just walk up and take them. It happens during the day which makes it all the more scary ... means that Chiquito is not allowed in the yard when I am not there which is sad for him, but the alternative doesn't bare thinking about.

This was happening around my area not that long ago. Could be the same low life scum just move slightly further up to Falkirk!??

They did try to take a dog from the wrong woman through he, her husband and son’s appeared with baseball bats, but the nappers made a quick exit then.

I'm terrified of this happening to me, Franks really frightened of people he doesn’t know and will hide behind me, grunting, but Tara will go to anyone willing to give her a belly rub

I'd be heartbroken if that happened to Colin. Around our way there was a lot of houses being cased and then some kind of sticker being put on the outside boundary to the house, different colours associated with different breed types I think. Luckily I've not seen it and to be honest when I first heard about it I thought it was a wind up, but some friends of mine have experienced it first hand. I check the outside of my garden and the house every night when I get home. I'd be devasted!

It happens around my area too, its a joke. I always get people asking me the same questions over and over again, that's when I know they're that type of scum.. 'is he a pitbull?'..'do you know anyone selling any pups'..etc.

KarenGoodall wrote:I'd be heartbroken if that happened to Colin. Around our way there was a lot of houses being cased and then some kind of sticker being put on the outside boundary to the house, different colours associated with different breed types I think. Luckily I've not seen it and to be honest when I first heard about it I thought it was a wind up, but some friends of mine have experienced it first hand. I check the outside of my garden and the house every night when I get home. I'd be devasted!

Happened to us!
I went out to check the mail early last week (maybe Monday or Tuesday?) and there was a red dot sticker on the mail box that hadn't been there before. When I called the police, the lovely bloke on the phone told me that the red stickers mean large or potentially aggressive breed. Sophie wishes!
I'm not terribly concerned, there's almost always someone home with them and they're supervised outside now and they sleep inside.

Its crap, I was plannin on walkin my two down to my mums today to chill in the garden with them in the sunshine, but to get there I would need to walk passed/through the area they r camped up in an not a chance in hell am doin that! An to go the longer way round would kill them in this heat!

I would report to the police. In writing. Stealing dogs and dog fighting are both against the law and they are obliged to look into it even if they don't want to. If you have your complaint on record and on email you can cc to rspca etc. perhaps to give them a nudge.

I know it might feel like a hassle but I feel it is better than doing nothing, even if the police ignore it - for the time being.