People Are Stealing Dogs and Altering Their Appearances So Families Can't Find Them

A New Haven, Connecticut dog rescue group is alerting the public to a new tactic that thieves are using to keep pet owners from finding their dogs.

Dognappers may be changing the appearances of dogs by shaving them, coloring their fur or adding patches in an effort to disguise dogs they have stolen.

WFSB reports, "It is unclear why people are doing this, but volunteers within the organization believe it’s being done to make the dogs look unrecognizable."

Related: Stolen Dog Miraculously Returned To Family After One Year in Heartwarming Story

The group has tracked down some of the dogs and are unhappy about the changes that have been made.

The news channel spoke with Melanie Heltke, a volunteer with the Dog Gone Recovery Network, who said, "Are they keeping them to fight? I don’t know. Are they keeping them for bait dogs? I don’t know,” said Heltke. “I don’t know what’s honestly going through a lot of these people’s minds.”

The Dog Gone Recovery Network posted on Facebook, "We can’t believe that we have to warn our lost dog owners about this. In the last couple weeks we have had a few of our lost dogs found, but their appearance was altered. We had one dog that was shaved down and two different dogs whose fur was dyed.This of course, was to alter their appearance so they wouldn’t be recognized. Thankfully, they were reunited with their rightful owner."

What an alarming new tactic this is! It's so scary to think of your dog ever being stolen, but thankfully there are some steps you can take to protect your pup.

How To Protect Your Dog From Being Stolen

You can't guarantee your precious fur baby will never be stolen, but there are a few steps you can take to protect yourself and your pet.

Have your dog microchipped. This won't protect your pup from being stolen, but if they are stolen and the thief tries to register them or change the microchip information you will be notified by the company.

Spay or neuter your pet. A lot of times thieves target unaltered pets so they can breed puppies and then sell these puppies.

Take lots of photos of your pet and of you with your pet. This can be helpful if you have to prove ownership of your pet and to also give to law enforcement.

Vary the routes you take when walking your dog, and try to walk with a buddy when possible.

Don't post public photos of your pets on social media, especially with identifying markers like street signs in the background, the doggy daycare name, where you take them to get groomed or places you visit on a regular basis.

Don't leave your dog or cat outside unattended.

If the worst does happen, alert your local police immediately and tell all of your family, friends and veterinarian.

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