Don't Let Your Pet Become a Crime Statistic: National Pet Theft Awareness Week

The relationships we have with our pets sometimes we mean we forget their value in financial terms. This makes the tragedy of having a loved pet stolen even greater when it happens.

This week is National Pet Theft Awareness Week, aimed at helping us to take common sense precautions to combat the increasing number of thefts of dogs and cats.

Sadly it is not only the expensive pedigree dogs and cats that are stolen. A number of dogs are stolen to use, horrifically, to use as bait dogs for the sick people who still think dog fighting is an acceptable pastime.

If you saw the first episode of Dangerous Dogs this week you'll know how some unscrupulous people see what, to a dog lover, is a valued family member, as little more than a commodity to be traded.

Many dogs are stolen when unattended from gardens, so there are obvious steps we can take to ensure this doesn't happen. There are also other ways we can ensure that, if pets are stolen, they have the best chance of being reunited with their owners:

• Microchipping - ensure pets are chipped and registered: if your pet is scanned by a vet your details will be displayed as the owner
• Secure your garden - not only so your dog can't escape, but so people cannot have easy access
• If your dog goes missing, quickly get the word out on social media - at least two stolen dogs have been recovered recently when social media made them 'too hot to handle'
• Ensure that the national lost/found dogs database - DogsLostUK - is updated with your details
• Make sure that the professionals who help you care for your animals are trusted, have references and a good reputation.

The aim of National Pet Theft Awareness Week is to give us all the best chance to make sure our loved pets are never stolen, or if it does happen to make sure we are equipped to give us the best chance at getting them back quickly.

You can find out more about protecting your pets and how to use social media to spread the word about stolen or lost pets here.