Pet Theft On The Rise

Dognapping is on the rise as thieves are looking to turn a quick profit by stealing your pet.

The frequency might not be up there as property theft, but the occurances are growing.

Police reports don't make a distinction between pet theft and other property theft, so there's no way to pinpoint the exact number of stolen pets each year, but anecdotally, officers say that pet theft is increasing this year.

Toy breeds, puppies, and purebred dogs that look expensive or unusual are most vulnerable. Among the stolen breeds tracked by the AKC in 2008 are Yorkshire terriers, poodles, Pomeranians, shih tzu, bulldogs, corgis, a Norwich terrier and a mastiff.

Plus, people increasingly view their pets as members of the family and are willing to cough up big rewards if they go missing.

It's such a sick crime...and there was also an increase around Valentine's day, where it seemed people were stealing dogs so that they could bring a puppy home to their loved ones...but yet they took a loved pet from someone else.