Are your dogs safe?

Have you got a boerboel, staffie, amstaff, pit bull, or bull terrier? Your dog is in danger of being stolen no matter what age they are. These types of dogs are stolen to be used as breeding stock or for dog fighting.

The modus operandi of these criminals are to send youngsters into the suburbs where they peer over walls and gates to see what types of dogs you have. They make notes of these and then give it to the adults who stake out the dogs they want to steal. They know exactly what kind of dog you have before they even attempt to get into your yard or house.

If you see suspicious activity in your neighbourhood, like youngster walking around the neighbourhood, peering over walls etc, phone the police immediately to report it. If you see fish sellers / compost sellers in you area, notify the Police and keep your dogs out of sight and safe – there has been a definitely link between these people being in the area and dogs disappearing.

In the unfortunate event of your dog being stolen, please do notify the Police as well as the SPCA and shelters – if there are no statistics of stolen dogs nobody is going to start acting upon it!

Here are some nice Christmas cracker treats for your dog to put under the Xmas tree this Christmas. Easy to make and my dogs absolutely love them. As a matter of fact, they are not happy with me putting it under the tree and them having to wait for it!

What you will need:

• Some empty toilet roll tubes
• Round dog biscuits – I use the Ken-L ones
• Some dry dog pellets – get ones that you don’t normally give to your dogs on a daily basis so that it is a treat because its new
• Some dog treats – I used the rawhide ones that come in sticks – just break it into smaller bits
• wrapping paper – I just used brown bags that I previously bought bread or rolls in
• String to tie around it once it has been wrapped

Put it under the Christmas tree for you dog to enjoy on Christmas day. I would advise you put it high enough to be out of reach of your dog for the time being! He he he.

I hope you have as much fun making these treats for you dogs as I did!

Urgent warning to people who own Pit Bull Terriers, Staffies, Bull Dog any thorough bred dog that can be used to either breed with or used for dog fighting – more and more people are reporting their Pit Bulls, Staffies and other pure bred dogs as stolen or lost. If you have any of these kinds of dogs, it is imperative that you make sure that your dog is as safe as can be.

When you are not at home, make sure your pet is either kept inside the house or in a sheltered place at the back of your yard where it cannot be seen from the street. Puppies especially need to be kept inside. Even when you are at home, make sure that your dog is not out at the front gate barking at strangers, keep them within safe seeing distance from you.

There are people walking the streets looking for just the right opportunity to nab YOUR dog. It is your responsibility as its owner to make sure that it is safe at all times. If your dog gets stolen for dog fighting or for breeding, then no micro chip or collar is going to bring them home. You need to absolutely up your security because these dog thieves are ruthless!

Many call about lost and stolen dogs

Owner finds his stolen pit bull a second time 

Keep eyes peeled for stolen dogs

Staffies being Stolen

Pit Bulls Stolen From Sandton SPCA

Pets used as bait to fighting Pit Bulls

“A black and white male neutered Staffie was stolen from Durban North just above Crusaders Sports Ground. There’ve been other similar reports in the area recently.”

Horror stories about dogs been stolen for dog fighting and other terrible things! Don’t let this happen to your dogs! It is happening all over our country!

Save a doggy from a miserable life this Christmas! 

If your neighbours have a dog that stays outside, please regularly check on the dog even if you have to peer over a fence!

• Is the area where the dog is kept big enough.
• Check if the dog has enough shelter from hot or cold weather.
• Does it have access to fresh water.
• If it is on a leash is the leash long enough to allow some freedom of movement at least.
• Does the dog’s environment get cleaned, in other words, is it free from dog poop.
• Is there a proper surface or is it wet and cold and not good for the dog’s feet.
• Does the dog have access to fresh food every day.
• Does the dog have a collar and if so, does it look like it is a proper fit or does it look like it may be too tight?
• Does the dog look healthy or is it thin and lethargic, have bald patches etc.

If anything about the dog’s environment or health seems amiss, please phone your local Animal Anti Cruelty League or your local SPCA to go and do an inspection. You could save a dog’s life just by being observant!

First of all, when considering getting a puppy for Christmas, you must realise that giving animals as Christmas gifts carry a burden of responsibility for the one that will be receiving it. Ideally dogs should not be given as gifts but if you are set on getting or giving a puppy for Christmas, why not look at the various shelters in your area. Most of them have lots and lots of puppies and dogs looking for a forever home and you could change the life of one dog for the better.

There are other things you should also consider when getting a puppy:

• will the person that is getting the puppy have enough time to give it the love and attention and training it needs?
• is the yard secure enough to make sure that the puppy will be safe at all times?
• are there other dogs in the family that may not get along with the new puppy?

If you are looking for a thorough bred puppy don’t buy it from a pet shop. So often you find that the adorable puppies that you see in pet shops come from puppy breeders that do not at all care for the parents of the puppy and some of them are severely neglected and kept in small cages all of their lives. When they are too old to breed they get discarded like old clothes. Please do not support unscrupulous breeders like that. If you are set on getting a thorough bred, contact a breeder in your area and visit their premises so that you can see for yourself whether the dogs are treated properly.

You also need to understand that the cute puppy you buy today, will become a grown dog eventually. Are you still going to love it the way you did when it was a puppy?