It may come as a surprise to you, but dogs are stolen pretty much as often as purses. The reason that thieves turn to dogs instead of other items, is the growing market for them. It used to be that when someone wanted to adopt a pet, they would go the usual route. Breeders would be the first stop for them but when their prices started to increase, they turned to other ways.
Adoption centers opened across the country and helped fill the gap that had existed for a long time. These organizations rescued dogs who had been mistreated or living in the street. Some of these dogs had been born in the street while others had been abandoned. Nevertheless, there was a need for them to be rescued and spayed or neutered.
This initiative helped reduced the street dog population but created another issue, which were shelters filled with dogs that almost no one wanted. Local and state governments created laws and exceptions for people who adopted an animal instead of buying one from a shelter. If a person who adopted one of these dogs was not seen fit after a probational period, he or she would be denied the adoption and the dog would be retrieved.
Thanks to this, hundreds of dogs who were once living in the streets got their second chance at a life with more dignity and the love they deserved. Many of these shelters survive on the generosity of the general population. They have web pages you can visit and help them in many ways, like by donating money or time to them.
There are times, when a dog escapes or gets stolen and ends up in one of these shelters. Picture this scenario: your dog gets stolen from your home or vehicle and then is taken to a house where it is scheduled to be sold. People who do this usually have a buyer before stealing the animal. Then animal escapes from the thieves who have most likely taken him hundreds of miles away. When the animal gets to the street, he or she becomes disoriented and ends up getting lost. The animal is then rescued and ends up in s shelter.
You will be surprised at how often this happens. One resident of West Palm Beach had this happened to him. A thief stole his Pit Bull from his vehicle. The man got back to find his dog missing and started looking for him. The days turned into weeks and the weeks into months until he finally saw him on the news. His dog had been rescued by a shelter and was scheduled to be euthanized. He raced to the door not knowing if he would get to him on time!
