One of they guys I train dogs with had their working dog stolen from their yard. I know it's a longshot, but I thought I would post it here too.

Stolen Champion German Shepherd

Thanks
Garlydog

BTW, Al Govednick is the USA Schutzhund Trial Judge where my dog Fergie earned his SchH1 with me as handler. I know him personally and want to help him out.

I try to run a weekly notice on the Seattle Craigslist on how to find lost pets. Below are excerpts for stolen ones, and some online sites where people can post their notices (most are free, although you may have to join).

Sorry for the length.

Sue


FLYERS - Plaster the area right away. Have them printed with WATERPROOF (laser jet) ink. You need TWO kinds. Where traffic is moving fast, those flyers should be simple with very large print, no photo: “Lost Lab, M, black, (123) 346-6789”. Where people will be on foot or driving slowly, you can give more details and a photo: “Lost Lab, black w/some white, neutered male, 2 yrs old, Gresham area. Call any time: (123) 456-7890”.

PUTTING FLYERS IN MAILBOXES IS ILLEGAL. But you CAN fold them and tuck them between the mailbox flag and the box. Fold them so the LOST DOG is facing outward. If you see your mail carrier, give a flyer to him/her – they see a lot of dogs; also give them to other people working in the area.

MAIL OR DELIVER FLYERS to all the vets in the area, including the emergency clinics, and as far as you can, and maybe all the doggy daycare places.

WHERE PET WAS LOST: If you’re posting on a national website, be sure to say what direction you are from the nearest major city, and what STATE. You never know who is looking or where they are. Some people subscribe to national lists, and might make a connection between a pet lost on one list and one found on another. Make it easy for them. On Craigslist, please don’t just post an intersection or a neighborhood, include the CITY.

AVOID USELESS INFO. Purebred, championship status, games they like to play, and most personality traits are usually worthless. Do you really want to advertise that your missing champion show dog is worth $40,000? That’s stupid. Don’t entice someone into an extortion plot that can go bad.

ALWAYS HOLD SOMETHING BACK! The way to determine if someone really has your dog is to keep one or two special bits of information to yourself. Don’t advertise scars, the fact that the dog is missing teeth, has a small growth, only has 3 toes on the back foot or is missing a toenail. YOU ask THEM if the dog they found has anything different with the back feet or ears (only in very general terms), and see what they say. (“His teeth? Oh, hey, he’s got a broken lower fang and it has a FILLING in it!” BINGO!)

MICROCHIPS - Don’t EVER post the microchip number! A scammer can call and say they’ve found a dog with that chip number, but they’re just reading it off your ad. They don’t have your dog, they just want your money. If they truly might have your dog, they can have the dog scanned free at most vets and shelters; you could offer to meet them there (take your chip document and your own photo ID). But it’s okay to say the dog is chipped. Call the microchip company and ask them to FLAG the dog as missing or stolen. And, is your contact info up to date?

REMEMBER: Microchip companies usually CALL YOU THEMSELVES when someone says they found a pet with a chip; they take the caller’s phone number and GIVE IT TO YOU, they don’t usually give yours to the finder. However, they may give your information to a veterinary clinic, an animal shelter, or law enforcement.
AVID: 800-336-AVID (800-336-2843)
HomeAgain: 866-738-4324
ResQ: 877-PETLINK (877-738-5465)

DISTANCE – NEVER ASSUME that your pet is still in your neighborhood, town or even the state. Dogs get stolen and sold. They get picked up as unwanted strays and given to a girlfriend who turns them loose, or they can be found as strays and re-homed. A well-intentioned person can pick them up and then lose them on the way home. They can be grabbed by a vindictive neighbor and dumped miles away.

STOLEN DOGS ARE OFTEN SOLD. Check the “Dogs for Sale” ads in your area and up and down the towns along your nearest freeway corridor, especially. If you get a line on a dog that might be yours, ask the finder to email you a photo. A REGISTERED MICROCHIP IS POSITIVE I.D. TO THE LAW, but if you’re stupid about it the dog will disappear.

Keep an eye on the Craigslist PETS section and eBay Classifieds (formerly called Fijiji), where stolen pets are often “rehomed” for a fee. Check PetFinder.com and not only search the Classifieds/Found section, but also do a search like you’re looking for that kind of pet. Don’t use the phone number or email address that you used in your ads – they’re probably not that stupid. Ask them to send you a photo.

You can handle it yourself, but you’d better not be stupid. Ask questions like a real dog shopper: good with cats, kids, other dogs, does it bite, is it housebroken. Many of them are sold for $50 for drug money. Don’t go alone, but don’t take an idiot or talkaholic. Morons will screw up everything. Leave the kids and other pets home, too. If it is your pet, don’t fall apart and start calling its name and bawling! Keep your cool. The dog will probably run to you, wagging; just say something like, “Oh, he’s so friendly! I like that!” Bargaining is okay, but don’t be a fool and play Mr. Blustering Macho or Ms. LawAbiding Self-Righteous. You DO realize that some of these people are armed, right? If it’s your dog and the price is reasonable, just pay it and get out. This is NOT a social call! When the deal is made, shut up and LEAVE.

CONSIDER PUTTING A DOG WANTED AD in local papers or on Craigslist PETS for your general type of pet. Don’t be too specific. Use an alternate phone number from what you used in the lost flyers and ads. If you get a response, ask for a photo via email, meet in a public place.

A REWARD OFFER may push someone who knows something over the edge into calling. Who cares if they’re lowlifes if they help you get your dog home? But meet in a public place for safety. NO PET, NO MONEY.

THE LAW doesn’t give a fig about your dog. But if someone contacts you with a high ransom demand, that’s extortion, which is a crime. Say you have to gather the money, ask for a phone number, email address, etc. Then call the cops and ask how they want to handle it. If they’re not busy, if they like dogs, if they’re in a good mood, they may help. Insisting may help – extortion IS a crime, no matter if it’s a photo, a diamond necklace, or a pet. Of course, you might have to remind them of that. And you’d better have some photos in your hand, and a registered microchip number (or at least it can be verified by your vet).

SHELTERS - Don’t just call or fill out a form at the local Animal Shelter. Most places have a 2- or 3-day limit, so GO THERE at least every other day. Don’t depend on phone calls. Some people who work at shelters are dumber than roadkill, and wouldn’t know a Sheltie if they fell over it, much less a Portuguese Water Dog. But they won’t admit that they don’t know, they just say, “No, we don’t have any of those in here right now”, while your dog has a “KILL TODAY” sign on his cage or they’re selling it to another person.

ASK AT THE SHELTER if they keep notebooks of pets being held by finders. Some people don’t trust shelters, so they will care for a pet at home, but leave a flyer in the book. If the shelter has a notebook, check the FOUND book, add your own flyer to the LOST book.

WATCH OUT FOR SCAMMERS who don’t have your pet but just want to steal your money. Don’t pay anything unless the pet is right there in front of you. NO PET, NO MONEY, NO EXCUSES.

YOUR KIDS – Kids only have one job: taking flyers to school to post and pass out. Unless you have teenagers with functioning brains who can take accurate messages, don’t let your kids take phone calls about the lost pet. Keep in mind that the person calling may not really HAVE your pet. Make sure your kids understand the situation and what they can and cannot do. If your toddlers are in the habit of grabbing the phone, you’re S.O.L. NEVER ALLOW YOUR KIDS TO PHYSICALLY RESPOND TO AN AD, with or without you.

CONTACT YOUR BREED RESCUE AND CLUBS (state and national), and the breed clubs. Even if they don’t have a Lost/Found page, email them the basic info.

CHECK THE NEWSPAPERS, not everyone has a computer. Put ads in the local newspapers, and ask if you have to pay extra for online classifieds.

PROVING THE PET IS YOURS. If the finder is sensible, he/she will insist that you prove the pet is yours. Take photos with you. If it looks like yours but the finder hasn’t checked for the chip (and yours has one), ask them to meet you at a vet clinic or shelter where the pet can be scanned in front of both of you (take photo ID). You will have a psychological edge if you can do it at your vet clinic and they know you; just call ahead and tell them why and what you’re doing, ask if they will address you by name to show you are a client. But the finders might want to take the pet to their clinic, which is still okay, they’re being responsible. Responsible finders are jewels.

A registered microchip is POSITIVE IDENTIFICATION of ownership. If you see your pet on someone else’s leash or in their yard or car and they’re dodging you, call the police. TELL them the animal you suspect is yours has a microchip registered to you (as long as it is). Some law enforcement agencies have their own scanners.

If you don’t have photos and don’t have a chip, the finder should be pretty suspicious, and rightly so. Of course, your dog should react to its owner differently than to a stranger, but if they know any tricks, now is the time to run them through their routines.

ONLINE LOST & FOUND PET SITES

Don’t be too specific when you’re searching FOUND pages – many people don’t know dog breeds. Maybe start with your state if you can, and leave it at that. Few sites have a lot of recent posts for any particular area, but add yours just the same. You only need ONE good connection. Someone may know of PetFinder or Flealess, and not Craigslist. Keep track of where you post. If/when you find your pet, you will want to go back and remove the posting. You don’t want calls about found pitbulls or tabby cats for the next 10 years. Does your local area have a blog with a Lost/Found section?

Face it, anonymous online sites attract a lot of bottom-feeders. Expect trash calls, cruel calls, and some real bozos. If they say they saw the pet dead, it isn’t necessarily true, ask where you can ID the body.

Amber Alert for Pets (you must set up a free account)
http://www.amberalertforpets.com

America's National Lost & Found Pet Database
http://lostfoundpets.us/

Craigslist
http://craigslist.org KEEP CHECKING THE ADS, DON’T JUST WAIT FOR PEOPLE TO RESPOND TO YOURS! And don’t try to save time by just doing a search for the breed. Too many people will post a very generic ad with NO breed information, forcing everyone who has lost a pet to call to see if it is theirs, and poor spellers will throw you off, too. Post at least every few days, a photo is good. Many people don’t look past the first page. Check BOTH the LOST & FOUND and PETS sections under Community. Start fresh with each post. Never post a link to a previous post. DON’T be coy with the title, like saying “please help” – go for the gold: “LOST GERMAN SHEPHERD – REWARD”. BEWARE: Scumbags abound here!

EBay Classified (NOT eBay.com) was formerly called Kijiji. Check out both the Lost/Found (under Pets), AND the list of your species for sale, in case your dog was stolen or found and is being sold. BEWARE: Scumbags abound here!

FidoFinders
http://www.fidofinder.com/found-dogs.php

Flealess Market Lost Pets International
http://www.flealess.org/lostpets/

K9 Amber Alert (Yahoo Groups, have to join - free)
http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/K9AmberAlert/
(You can sign up to get notices via email as they come in.) Sometimes, all the notices are NY or all East Coast. The next day will differ.

Lost & Pound (PLEASE NOTE that the colored LOST & FOUND boxes are for posting notices, the smaller gray boxes above are for searching posted lost/found lists)
http://lostandpound.com/

Missing Pet Network (USDA)
http://www.missingpet.net/anlost.html
(Listings are by TOWN first, then by date -- very awkward for a large area, so use your FIND mode, using breed or year). Click on State Name, then Browse Listings to look at lists; Click on MPN State to post a notice.

Missing Small Dog Alert
http://www.msd-alert.org/

Oodle This looks like a good place to find stolen pets, in my opinion. Click on photos to enlarge.
http://pets.oodle.com

Operation K.O.N.A.
http://www.operationkona.org/lostpets/lostpets.asp

PetFinder (they only hold a post for two weeks, then you’ll have to repost) http://www.petfinder.com/classifieds/classifiedhop.html There are two places here to look: First is the CLASSIFIED, where you can check the lists, and post a Lost or Found notice. Next is where you act like you’re looking to acquire a new pet, in case your pet was stolen or found and is put up for sale (“rehoming” for a fee).

Pet Guardian Angels of America: See states listed
near the bottom, just under RESCUE SCAMS): http://www.pgaa.com/rescues.html

There's a special place in hell for people like that.

Hope they find him soon.

Twenty-three years ago, a roommate's puppy was stolen out of the yard. One thousand signs (literally), police report, two weeks and one scam ransom later, we got her back.

On the scam ransom, a guy came to our door (curious) around midnight and said he knew where the puppy was and so four of us piled into a car armed only with golf clubs and staked out a housing project. The tipster went in and never came out. Went home minus $100 and with no puppy. This was DC in the really, really bad 'ol days, but that's how desperate we were to get her back.

A couple weeks later, we did get her back after a woman called claiming to have her. Turns out she had bought her off the guy who stole her. My roommate reimbursed for what the woman said she'd paid. That woman called after a posse of my friends blanketed an area with signs.

Lots of good advice in Susan's post. Be persistent, don't give up hope. Lots and lots and lots of signs -- with one good photo and "Lost Dog" and "Reward" emblazoned big to catch the eye.

We were advised at the time about: 1) dog fighting rings; 2) dognapping for ransom; 3) research labs.

Canvas the neighborhood in all directions. Check regularly with area animal shelters.

Sadly, these thefts are not uncommon. I remember not long after that a woman who used to frequent our local park was distraught after her Rottweiller was stolen out of her front yard (fenced and the woman was home at the time). That dog was huge and so scary I wouldn't let my dog near him. Yet someone snagged him.

Now I would never leave my dog unattended in the yard, car or anywhere else. Especially not in this economy.

Thanks everyone. Great post Sue. This one is a keeper.

The owners need to keep a few things in mind:

* Just because the dog was stolen doesn't mean it will be kept on a chain or confined. Dogs have escaped and tried to get home, but they usually just don't know where to go. I knew a gorgeous black poodle that was stolen out of a locked back yard. TWO YEARS later, she showed up at home, beautifully groomed, scratching to be let in the front door.

* The dog may not be in the local area. If someone contacts them from out of town or even out of state, don't brush it off (many people are very stupid about this). If you were selling a stolen dog, would you do it in your own town? Pay special attention when the caller is in a nearby Interstate corridor, or on the same main highway, no matter how far away.

* I know of a few people who swamped the PNW with notices (and even threats) and eventually did get the dogs back. When an area is saturated with flyers and ads, sometimes it becomes just too 'hot' for the thief, and they dump the dog.

* Check the local laws about laboratories. Many states say that labs can't use microchipped dogs without an owner release, but I don't know how well that is observed or controlled. 2008 List of U.S. Animal Research Labs by state

* Dog fighting is a nightmare! If you know anyone who moves in those circles, put the word out, and casually offer a reward.

* If the dog is intact, he may be sold to a puppy mill for breeding. These people are as low as dog-fighters. Some of the Amish are in the business now. Breeders have been known to use a good-looking stolen stud and the papers of a deceased dog. AKC's DNA requirements are eliminating some of this, but the other dog registration companies don't ask for that, and that is where the puppymillers register. This is a list of registered USDA breeders in the U.S.

But there are many smaller, backyard breeders who operate under the USDA radar.

I hope they find him soon. If my dog was stolen and I found the thief, I would... oh, I almost forgot: we're not supposed to discuss illegal stuff here. So, use your imagination in the VINDICTIVE category.

Sue

I hope a K-9 officer finds the scum that did this and they try to run when they catch up with him. Sue, incredibly informative post. If this were a dog forum, I would seriously recommend "sticky" status. I can only add my personal experience to the advise of never assuming the dog is still close. A good friend lost a German Shorthaired Pointer last labor day and everyone gave up searching in the neighborhood. I decided to canvas a remote neighborhood on the other side of a deep canal and stopped a couple of people out mowing yards and driving around with a good color picture in hand. I was able to pinpoint the dog and find him in just a couple of hours(five miles away from where he was lost).

Use good common sense and I don't recommend knocking on stranger's doors, but most people are willing to help and a wandering dog will catch most people's attention. Asking a few questions can really make the difference.

Sad news. Hex was found dead on the side of the road. His collar was missing.

I am so very sorry to hear this. Please let your friend know that others share his sadness. I hope those responsible for this heinous act are brought to justice in either this world or the next.