Pet Theft – Learn how to lessen the risk
It is sad that pet owners have to worry about pet theft. However, with so many valuable animals around, some people steal them to sell or for themselves because they cannot afford them. Others breed them and make money from them that way. Some people even take animals so they can illegally fight them.
Some pets stay inside the home all of the time. You may think that this will mean that they will not get stolen. However, if they are valuable, they may still be. It is a good idea to avoid telling too many people about your pet, if you think they might get stolen. Also do not leave them in the window or in a position where they can easily be seen. Then there is less chance that someone will break in to your house to steal them.
If you take your pet out of the house, then keep them with you at all times. It can be really tempting to let your dog run off the lead in the countryside or allow your cat to come and go as she pleases, but that means that there is a potential risk of the animal being stolen. Many people tie their god up outside a shop and this could make them a very easy target for theft, It is, of course, up to you to decide whether you think that these things are worth the risk or not.
It is a good idea to have your pet microchipped if you think that there is any risk of them escaping or being stolen. It is a way that they can be identified as belonging to you. It means that if your animal escapes someone can take it to a vet and have it returned to you rather than leaving it to run wild and potentially be stolen by someone. It is also a good idea to have a collar on them with your contact details on. Obviously if they are not a pet that you would normally let out, then you may not do this, but it is essential to do it with dogs and cats that you have outside of the house.
If you do let you animal roam free in the garden or even outside of there, then make sure you keep an eye on them. Watch what they are doing and then if they do escape, they will not have been gone for long and you will have a better chance of catching them. Also make sure that your garden is secure so that someone cannot just take them from the garden when they go past. If it is not secure then make sure you keep an eye on them while they are out there and watch if anyone is hanging around.
It is important not to tell lots of people about your pets if you want to keep them safe. If someone overhears that you have a valuable animal then they might be tempted to steal it. Even if it is locked in the house, they might feel that it is worth breaking in to take it. Even having a warning sign on the front door, saying that you have a dog, could encourage someone to come in and steal it, rather than deterring them.