Stolen Dogs?

I found the following warning on a dog forum, but in view of the large numbers of huskies going "missing" at the moment, I thought it was well worth crossposting as a warning to those who might come across such dogs when looking for a new dog.

Private Rehomes - Stolen Dogs?

More and more dogs are being stolen and sold on to unsuspecting purchasers. If you are thinking of getting a privately rehomed dog, please bear this in mind. Chat to the current owners about the history of the dog and if anything seems suspicious, please try to investigate further.

Examples of situations which may arouse suspicion:

	When the current owner admits they haven’t had the dog very long
	When the dog does not seem to respond to the name the current owner is using
	When the current owner is vague/inconsistent about how old the dog is, how long they have had him/her and where he/she originally came from
	When there is no paperwork with the dog – not even vaccination certificates, or when the paperwork does not seem to match the dog

Not all of these situations will mean that the dog is stolen and accusations should certainly not be levelled at the previous owner without positive proof. If you do buy a rehomed dog, please also ask your vet to check for an existing microchip and if there is one, that the registration details match those of the person you bought the dog from. If they don't match, please ask the microchip registration company to contact the registered owners to verify that the dog is not stolen/lost.

If more people are aware of the possibility of a dog having been stolen, it may make it harder for thieves to profit from their crimes and make them think twice before stealing a dog.

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