Beware dognappers

Latest figures from the Missing Pets Bureau show that cases of ‘dog napping’ have increased in recent years. Battersea Dogs & Cats Home received nearly 7,000 reports to its Lost Dogs and Cats Line. Nearly half a million dogs have been stolen since 2001.

Owners of pedigree dogs are most at threat. They can be sold on for substantial sums. However, even if your beloved friend is not a pure bred they could still be target for a ‘dog napper’. Dogs can be taken and then once the owner has put up posters offering a reward the dog napper will contact them either ask for the reward or say they bought the dog from someone and therefore will be out of pocket if they give you back the dog and will demand cash in return for your pet.

The most frequently stolen dog is the Staffordshire Bull terrier with demands being made for their return usually at around £100 but it has been know that up to £700 has been demanded by the dishonest "finder".

To avoid being a victim of this growing crime, take those small but sensible steps that help to keep your pet safer.

• Secure your garden if you can so that opportunistic thieves can’t break in and so that your dog can’t escape.
• Keep your dog on a lead at all times, unless in an area where it is safe to let him off the lead.
  Do not let your dog off the lead along main roads and side roads. Minimise the chances of your dog running off and getting lost.
• Unless you are 100% sure that he will come back when you ask him to, again do not let
  him off the lead.
• Have your dog or cat microchipped. The ID chip can be inserted by your local vet and costs
  between £10 and £30. The microchip is inserted under the scruff of the neck and is a simple and painless procedure. The chip is permanent and can be read with a scanner if your pet is found. The number of the chip is on a central register along with your name and address, so you can be contacted.
• Battersea Dogs Home recommends that you take a DNA sample by doing a swab with a cotton bud of the inside of your dog's mouth of your pet that you keep in a safe and sterile place. This will provide indisputable evidence that a dog belongs to you.
• Make sure your dog or cat wears a secure collar and tag with your details on it at all times,
  in addition to a microchip. Collars and tags are a legal requirement for dogs and you could be fined if your dog doesn’t have one! But don't put the animal's or your own personal details on the tag such as a name as this can be helpful to unscrupulous crooks.
• Register your dog or cat with a database-driven visible identification scheme like Petsafe and put their tag on the animal’s collar. If your dog or cat is found and reported to them, they will call you with your pet’s location and details for you to contact. For example, lifetime membership with Petsafe includes Petsafe providing the finder/vet with essential medical information and £500 towards emergency veterinary treatment. Remember to keep your microchip and pet identification details up to date if you move house or change your telephone number.

Plus you should remember to protect your pet against all eventualities with pet insurance. Typically, insurers will offer up to £1,000 to cover the cost of publicity to trace a lost or stolen dog, or up to £750 in compensation. Pet insurance premiums will vary depending on the location, where you live, breed and age of dog.

Other reasons to invest in pet insurance…

Don’t let your pet break the bank….

If your cat or dog breaks or injures a limb you could be left to pick up a vet’s bill of up to £1,000. Recent research by leading insurers found that 15% of dog owners have raided their savings to settle escalating vet bills. Since there is no NHS equivalent for dogs or other animals, owners have to make a financial sacrifice to protect their pets’ health and wellbeing. As vets fees continue to rise, and advanced veterinary care allowing pets to live longer, pet insurance is an increasingly sensible way to save significantly on potential costs in the long run.

What Pet Insurance covers:
1. Vet Fees: Includes surgery, hospitalisation and treatment as a result of accident or illness.
2. Third Party Public Liability and Accidental Damage: Provides coverage in the event that your pet causes injury or damage to someone else or to their property. Usually up to £1 million.
3. Boarding Kennel/Cattery fees: Apart from boarding fees when necessary, this can also provide home care if you are hospitalised for more than three days.
4. Death from illness and Loss by theft or straying: The insurer will recompense you up to the current market value or the original cost of the pet should they die or go missing. Your pet may have to be under eight for this to apply.
5. Holiday Cancellation Costs: If your pet has to have emergency surgery within 14 days of your holiday departure date or whilst you are away.
6. Advertising and Reward: If your pet gets lost, local advertising and a reward will be covered.
7. Pet psychologist/Counselling Costs/Alternative Therapies: Some comprehensive polices cover the cost of pet psychologists, pet owner counselling and alternative therapies for pets such as acupuncture, homeopathy.