Missing Pets Baffle Families

[Teebs]

Thinking i may have to start to lock my guys inside when I am not home anymore, as much as i hate having to do it

http://www.centralwesterndaily.com.au/news...es/1783662.aspx

Missing pets baffle families

BY TRACEY PRISK

23 Mar, 2010 10:54 AM

LOCAL dog owners suspect a dognapping gang is responsible for the disappearance of a large amount of dogs from the Orange area over the last six months.

The gang seems to be primarily targeting purebred dogs including labradors and golden retrievers.

The Central Western Daily has run eight missing dog advertisements in March alone, double the number reported missing during the same period last year.

Samantha Webster’s four-year-old son Jacob was devastated by the loss of the family’s two maltese shih tzus, which disappeared on separate occasions over a three-month period.

Ms Webster described Mac and Meg as gorgeous dogs that looked like purebreeds.

Mac disappeared from outside the family’s house in November while Meg went missing in January.

“It seems to be that something very odd is happening for so many dogs to disappear around the same time,” Ms Webster said.

“The first time it happened I was with Jacob in hospital and when we got home the next day Mac was gone.”

Ms Webster said she’d do anything to get her dogs back.

“I can’t understand how a loyal dog could just vanish ... the public needs to be made aware of what’s going on,” she said.

Ms Webster said there were a number of rumours circulating as to the fate of the missing dogs.

“I have personally searched all over and found just one lead; apparently a man from Wollongong has been stealing dogs from Wellington, Orange and Bathurst but that’s all I’ve heard,” she said.

Kathy Thomas still has no idea who took her much-loved golden retrievers Monty and Wentworth, who disappeared from Mayfield Vineyard in mid-February.

“I never would have imagined that this could have happened to my dogs,” she said.

“I’m determined to do whatever I have to in order to investigate where these dogs have gone.

“Obviously a value has been placed on these dogs and I want to find out exactly what’s going on.”

Police were unavailable for comment.

[Kissindra]

have to say I do worry about this a lot. I think it is becomming more common in many parts of Australia ;)

[k9angel]

I lived in Orange for a few years. Lovely town.

This wasnt going on back then, (as far as I knew or heard) I could of lost my huskies if it was. ;) I feel sad for the dogs stolen and the sad families left behind. What are they doing with them I wonder? removing chips and selling them? Using them as breeding stock on puppy farms??? Poor dogs. How sad. :D

There are many small towns with properties/farms out that way, some cruel bas@ard probably has a shed/garage set up for the purpose of producing puppies.... :D who knows?

[ILK]

I can remember a case like this one quite a few years ago. If I can remember correctly (& I could be wrong with the suburb), but I definately remember the article.

It occurred in Fairfield or Wakeley NSW and they discovered that alot of the pets were missing from peoples yards being used as dinner. I guess the big difference is that in Fairfield they were taking any cat or dog with no preference of breed.

[Libertybrook]

Worse still... I hope they are not being used as "bait dogs" for pit fighting

[sandgrubber]

Sorry to be petty, but 'amounts of dogs'? Please. Numbers of dogs. Dogs are counted as individuals, not measured by the kilo.

If Labbies and Goldies seem to be targeted, it's likely that they're doing resale, especially if pups are being taken. I can't imagine using breeds that won't be a good fight being targeted for 'bait' in the fighting ring.

Thinking i may have to start to lock my guys inside when I am not home anymore, as much as i hate having to do it

http://www.centralwesterndaily.com.au/news...es/1783662.aspx

Missing pets baffle families

BY TRACEY PRISK

23 Mar, 2010 10:54 AM

LOCAL dog owners suspect a dognapping gang is responsible for the disappearance of a large amount of dogs from the Orange area over the last six months.

Edited March 26, 2010 by sandgrubber

[sandgrubber]

Many years ago when I lived in New Hampshire (USA) they busted a local town cop, a deeply unpopular bloke with a miserable life story, for shooting pets in New Hampshire, cutting off their ears, and collecting on the bounty on feral dogs in Vermont (the next state over). There are some sick and sad people out there; there always are. The bloke, btw. wasn't arrested. He was demoted. But because he was the one and only town cop in his town, the demotion didn't mean much.

Edited March 26, 2010 by sandgrubber

[Pheebs]

Is there any data on percentages of dogs stolen that are entire vs. spayed/neutered?

[Libertybrook]

Sorry to be petty, but 'amounts of dogs'? Please. Numbers of dogs. Dogs are counted as individuals, not measured by the kilo.

If Labbies and Goldies seem to be targeted, it's likely that they're doing resale, especially if pups are being taken. I can't imagine using breeds that won't be a good fight being targeted for 'bait' in the fighting ring.

Thinking i may have to start to lock my guys inside when I am not home anymore, as much as i hate having to do it

http://www.centralwesterndaily.com.au/news...es/1783662.aspx

Missing pets baffle families

BY TRACEY PRISK

23 Mar, 2010 10:54 AM

LOCAL dog owners suspect a dognapping gang is responsible for the disappearance of a large amount of dogs from the Orange area over the last six months.

Sandgrubber they are used as bait dogs, to get the fighting dogs going and also used to train the dogs that do fight

because they are helpless types of dogs that generally are not good at fighting,

so the dogs in training win and learn to kill.

there are some sick people out there, the last fighting ring that was closed down in Western Sydney

18 months ago, were found to have cages of small dogs and and medium sized dogs that were used for this purpose,

[Kissindra]

It's not just small/medium dogs though - last year huskies and mals (and crosses of these breeds) we being targeted in connection with dog fight baiting in the logan area.

[hortfurball]

Thinking i may have to start to lock my guys inside when I am not home anymore, as much as i hate having to do it

Out of curiosity, why do you hate leaving your dogs inside? There's nowhere mine would rather spend their day than on my bed, fast asleep in comfort...

Poor dogs and poor families. My worst nightmare (probably why I got in the habit of leaving mine inside). I'm so paranoid I won't leave my guys unattended in public, so they don't get walked to the shop 'cos I won't leave them tied outside. I hope they catch whoever is responsible before too many more meet the same fate, whatever that might be.

[Lhok]

I lived in Orange for a few years. Lovely town.

This wasnt going on back then, (as far as I knew or heard) I could of lost my huskies if it was. I feel sad for the dogs stolen and the sad families left behind. What are they doing with them I wonder? removing chips and selling them? Using them as breeding stock on puppy farms??? :D Poor dogs. How sad.

There are many small towns with properties/farms out that way, some cruel bas@ard probably has a shed/garage set up for the purpose of producing puppies.... who knows?

You can remove microchips? I never knew that, I'll be keeping a closer eye on my dog now.

--Lhok

[Teebs]

Thinking i may have to start to lock my guys inside when I am not home anymore, as much as i hate having to do it

Out of curiosity, why do you hate leaving your dogs inside? There's nowhere mine would rather spend their day than on my bed, fast asleep in comfort...

because outside they can go to the toilet as needed, run around in the sun, inside they have to sit in their crates, not a nice life being crated all the time, and i hate doing it.

[WreckitWhippet]

I'd like to know how many of those "missing" dogs are chipped, registered and kept in their own yards.

[justin19801]

Sorry to be petty, but 'amounts of dogs'? Please. Numbers of dogs. Dogs are counted as individuals, not measured by the kilo.

If Labbies and Goldies seem to be targeted, it's likely that they're doing resale, especially if pups are being taken. I can't imagine using breeds that won't be a good fight being targeted for 'bait' in the fighting ring.

Thinking i may have to start to lock my guys inside when I am not home anymore, as much as i hate having to do it :D

http://www.centralwesterndaily.com.au/news...es/1783662.aspx

Missing pets baffle families

BY TRACEY PRISK

23 Mar, 2010 10:54 AM

LOCAL dog owners suspect a dognapping gang is responsible for the disappearance of a large amount of dogs from the Orange area over the last six months.

Sandgrubber they are used as bait dogs, to get the fighting dogs going and also used to train the dogs that do fight

because they are helpless types of dogs that generally are not good at fighting,

so the dogs in training win and learn to kill.

there are some sick people out there, the last fighting ring that was closed down in Western Sydney

18 months ago, were found to have cages of small dogs and and medium sized dogs that were used for this purpose,

Bait dogs are a marketing tool used by groups to scare people into donating to them. There is over a century of memoirs published by former dogfighters when it was all but legal and not one mentions the use of a bait dog. Fighting dogs are schooled not baited, the latter will not withstand a dog biting back.

Unfortunately as the gangs have taken over dogfighting in the US the use of bait dogs has become a self-fulfilling prophesy, as it's exponents wanted it to be as the gangs believe what the racketeers are saying. If they were using bait dogs they wouldn't be stealing PBs.

The last thing the poor owners need to imagine is their harmless family pet being torn apart when there is NO EVIDENCE TO SUPPORT IT.

[Kissindra]

Sorry to be petty, but 'amounts of dogs'? Please. Numbers of dogs. Dogs are counted as individuals, not measured by the kilo.

If Labbies and Goldies seem to be targeted, it's likely that they're doing resale, especially if pups are being taken. I can't imagine using breeds that won't be a good fight being targeted for 'bait' in the fighting ring.

Thinking i may have to start to lock my guys inside when I am not home anymore, as much as i hate having to do it :D

http://www.centralwesterndaily.com.au/news...es/1783662.aspx

Missing pets baffle families

BY TRACEY PRISK

23 Mar, 2010 10:54 AM

LOCAL dog owners suspect a dognapping gang is responsible for the disappearance of a large amount of dogs from the Orange area over the last six months.

Sandgrubber they are used as bait dogs, to get the fighting dogs going and also used to train the dogs that do fight

because they are helpless types of dogs that generally are not good at fighting,

so the dogs in training win and learn to kill.

there are some sick people out there, the last fighting ring that was closed down in Western Sydney

18 months ago, were found to have cages of small dogs and and medium sized dogs that were used for this purpose,

Bait dogs are a marketing tool used by groups to scare people into donating to them. There is over a century of memoirs published by former dogfighters when it was all but legal and not one mentions the use of a bait dog. Fighting dogs are schooled not baited, the latter will not withstand a dog biting back.

Unfortunately as the gangs have taken over dogfighting in the US the use of bait dogs has become a self-fulfilling prophesy, as it's exponents wanted it to be as the gangs believe what the racketeers are saying. If they were using bait dogs they wouldn't be stealing PBs.

The last thing the poor owners need to imagine is their harmless family pet being torn apart when there is NO EVIDENCE TO SUPPORT IT.

re: the logan area targetting of Husky and Malamute PB and cross dogs, the warnings came from purebred breeders, local council animal management and yes there was a brief statement from the RSPCA but no calls for money from anyone. At the time of the first report the figure of purebred huskies believed stolen in the area was at 7 and the breed social club had been made aware that individuals involved in a dog fighting/breeding ring had been caught trying to get a hold of two Huskies from a shelter.

Nobody wanted money, what they wanted was owners to be aware that certain breeds were being targeted for theft and connections to dog fighting rings had been made, so they could take appropriate steps to keep their dogs safe from theft.

[hortfurball]

Thinking i may have to start to lock my guys inside when I am not home anymore, as much as i hate having to do it :D

Out of curiosity, why do you hate leaving your dogs inside? There's nowhere mine would rather spend their day than on my bed, fast asleep in comfort...

because outside they can go to the toilet as needed, run around in the sun, inside they have to sit in their crates, not a nice life being crated all the time, and i hate doing it.

Ah, I didn't realise they'd be crated. If they have the run of the house do they turn it into a bombsite?

How high are your fences? If they are really high, the dogs can't be seen from the street and gates are chained and padlocked to death, it might be a reasonable option for you to continue as you are, but I'm sure you'll do whatever you feel is best for your guys...

ETA: Quick thought...fake video camera? Or even a real one, second hand? Don't know if it's in the realms of possibility for you but if budget allows...they say if you make it too hard for them, crooks will always choose the easier option. If there's a very visible deterrent - a camera mounted in a conspicuous place meaning a risk of them being filmed and identified I reckon that would give them pause.

Edited March 27, 2010 by hortfurball

[k9angel]

There was actually an ad on GT the other day that was a bit suss too.

It read urgent, wanted purebred Lab female. I think they were located in Dubbo (not too far from Orange) said they were offering a good home with horses and kids. It just sounded too suspicious for me. Whose to say they arent in possession of a stolen male and want to breed with them? dont mind me, I explore every avenue and I am suss of anyone seeking a free purebred dog. I replied to the ad, asking what the urgency was??? surprisingly I didnt get a reply. I reported the ad also in the hope it would be removed.

I hope to God they are not using these missing dogs as bait dogs for fighting. I could not even imagine any of my babies going through that. That would be truly awful. The thought makes me sick to the stomach literally.

I did hear of huskies and Mals being stolen in Qld (and I imagine other places) for this purpose, because of their thick coat. I cant tell you how much this revolts me. Imagine what those dogs go through? :D

[sandgrubber]

I think there's a lack of information, and possible a lot of fear-based misinformation, regarding 'baiting' in dog fighting (about which I know absolutely nothing). I've tried to move the 'bait' question to the BSL forum, where there may be more people who have a sense about whether dog fighting is or is not a real concern.

[ILK]

I think there's a lack of information, and possible a lot of fear-based misinformation, regarding 'baiting' in dog fighting (about which I know absolutely nothing). I've tried to move the 'bait' question to the BSL forum, where there may be more people who have a sense about whether dog fighting is or is not a real concern.

Its a terrifying thought, the possibility of your dog being stolen & used as a bait dog. I agree with you sandgrubber. I think accurate information would be much more appropriate in this situation.