Minor Strangeness

[catseye]

Let’s hope so, because Suffolk police have recovered “83 dogs of various breeds and ages, which are suspected to have been stolen”, and arrested 6 people at a site near Ipswich.

https://www.suffolk.police.uk/news/...rrests-made-after-police-operation-ipswich#na



maximus otter

They don't seem to have thought it through - if you steal a dog then you should only steal to a market, ie, if you've already got a buyer. No point in housing and feeding 80 odd dogs, if you can't shift any of them! You don't usher people through a room and say 'which one do you fancy?'

Er. I assume.

 

[maximus otter]

They don't seem to have thought it through - if you steal a dog then you should only steal to a market, ie, if you've already got a buyer. No point in housing and feeding 80 odd dogs, if you can't shift any of them! You don't usher people through a room and say 'which one do you fancy?'

Er. I assume.

lf only “lack of a sound business plan” deterred more criminals!

maximus otter

 

[Trevp666]

lf only “lack of a sound business plan” deterred more criminals!

Indeed. I do often remark that what we often forget is that 'people are idiots' - this includes crims.
Which is why we repeatedly read the 'dumb criminals' posts about things like people burgling houses but making themselves a sandwich and sitting down to eat it with a drink while watching TV until the cops arrive etc.
With the dogs though, it'll be interesting to see how many of them are micro-chipped and manage to be reunited with their owners.

 

[PeteS]

lf only “lack of a sound business plan” deterred more criminals!

maximus otter

Probably just as well really, intelligence and criminal behaviour make dangerous brothers.

 

[catseye]

With the dogs though, it'll be interesting to see how many of them are micro-chipped and manage to be reunited with their owners.

Apparently some thieves are attempting to 'cut out' the microchips - which is resulting in dogs with horrific injuries. So now they have to try to sell at an exorbitant price, a dog with a dreadful (expensive at the vet, plus questions ARE going to be asked) wound. They'd be better just leaving the microchip! I mean, nobody buying an adult and obviously terrified dog as a pet is going to think it's a perfectly legal and above board sale of a much loved family pet, are they?

 

[maximus otter]

Apparently some thieves are attempting to 'cut out' the microchips - which is resulting in dogs with horrific injuries. So now they have to try to sell at an exorbitant price, a dog with a dreadful (expensive at the vet, plus questions ARE going to be asked) wound. They'd be better just leaving the microchip! I mean, nobody buying an adult and obviously terrified dog as a pet is going to think it's a perfectly legal and above board sale of a much loved family pet, are they?

If people weren't buying them, the slags wouldn't be stealing them.

maximus otter

 

[catseye]

If people weren't buying them, the slags wouldn't be stealing them.

maximus otter

But ARE they? The crims all seem to be caught with about a billion dogs. People are buying dogs, yes, but it seems to mostly be puppies (see all the articles on people who are now owning badly socialised and badly trained young dogs - and having to face returning to work, leaving dogs that have never been left alone before) - are the criminals just thinking 'yeah, I'll steal a bunch of dogs and sell them and make a load of money' and being unable to? I'm sure there may be a few, stupid people who've fallen for the 'got to sell the family dog now we're all unemployed and starving' ruse, but not THAT many?

 

[maximus otter]

But ARE they? The crims all seem to be caught with about a billion dogs. People are buying dogs, yes, but it seems to mostly be puppies (see all the articles on people who are now owning badly socialised and badly trained young dogs - and having to face returning to work, leaving dogs that have never been left alone before) - are the criminals just thinking 'yeah, I'll steal a bunch of dogs and sell them and make a load of money' and being unable to? I'm sure there may be a few, stupid people who've fallen for the 'got to sell the family dog now we're all unemployed and starving' ruse, but not THAT many?

"Stolen spaniel reunited with owners after she was sold for £150 in car boot sale.

Laura, 27, said: “Bisto was chained to a post and looking sad. She stroked her and a man said she could have her for £150.”

The lady bought Bisto and, for two weeks, the 10-year-old dog lived with her family in Rotherham as “Molly”."

Because sensible people buy dogs from anonymous men at flippin' car boot sales...

maximus otter

 

[Trevp666]

And then there is the 'dog-napping' side of things too I suppose, whereby a ransom is demanded from some rich individual for the return of their pooches.

 

[maximus otter]

And then there is the 'dog-napping' side of things too I suppose, whereby a ransom is demanded from some rich individual for the return of their pooches.

With dogs from good breeders starting at around £1,000, the qualifier “rich” doesn’t apply.

l was beating on my small local shoot back in the days of freedom, and making a fuss of a lovely black Labrador. l jokingly made some remark to its owner about stealing or confiscating it, and he laughingly replied that for the price he paid for it - £1,800 IIRC - l could have the pooch. Believe me, no-one on that shoot is “rich”.

maximus otter

 

[catseye]

"Stolen spaniel reunited with owners after she was sold for £150 in car boot sale.

Laura, 27, said: “Bisto was chained to a post and looking sad. She stroked her and a man said she could have her for £150.”

The lady bought Bisto and, for two weeks, the 10-year-old dog lived with her family in Rotherham as “Molly”."

Because sensible people buy dogs from anonymous men at flippin' car boot sales...

maximus otter

Ah well, you can't legislate for stupidity.

 

[catseye]

This was in August though, so silly season for all reasons!

 

[Spudrick68]

If someone tries to rob your house / steal your dog and they are seriously injured in the process the law should basically shrug their shoulders and state that they shouldn't have been there, no case to answer. Logically i know that that means that the stakes are upped considerably and isn't really practical.

Anyone who has been robbed will understand the feeling of violation and insecurity that it can bring.

 

[Eyespy]

Decorator, or Artist possibly?

Hi Sid- I live with a non scissor using partner. To clarify I buy cheep, brightly coloured scissors to strategically position around the the Towers so that my "stuff" is never misused and my sanctum not entered by unworthy types*

* sort of people who might use my shears for paper, plastic or just to open mail.

 

[Eyespy]

re Dog thefts- under current UK law dogs are seen as good and chattels so their theft is not taken that seriously. there is a peteion underway to have this changed.

There have been a couple of incidents here in somerset of attempted/suspected theft. Not sure why anyone would want my elderly mongrel, but apparently small dogs are very easy targets. I have been warned several times by fellow dog walkers so this is a real fear if not an actual thing.

 

[escargot]

re Dog thefts- under current UK law dogs are seen as good and chattels so their theft is not taken that seriously. there is a peteion underway to have this changed.

There have been a couple of incidents here in somerset of attempted/suspected theft. Not sure why anyone would want my elderly mongrel, but apparently small dogs are very easy targets. I have been warned several times by fellow dog walkers so this is a real fear if not an actual thing.

Dogs (and cats) are reputed to be stolen by dogfighting gangs as bait for training.

 

[Sid]

Hi Sid- I live with a non scissor using partner. To clarify I buy cheep, brightly coloured scissors to strategically position around the the Towers so that my "stuff" is never misused and my sanctum not entered by unworthy types*

* sort of people who might use my shears for paper, plastic or just to open mail.

Maybe, just maybe... two spoons for a pair of scissors might be a good snip!

 

[escargot]

* sort of people who might use my shears for paper, plastic or just to open mail.

The horror! The horror!

When I had kids living here I'd lock my shears and good scissors in a box.
Descended from tailors, y'know.

Techy sometimes brings home very posh scissors from work which I carefully salt away.

 

[catseye]

There was a piece in this week's local paper by the local police head honcho. He says in the article that the number of reported dog thefts this year has been comparible with that over the last couple of years - therefore no effect noticeable from Lockdown, as this time last year we'd only just gone into lockdown and the Pet Acquisition Mania hadn't started.

Yet it's still being touted locally as being HUGELY elevated. Which means that either a) people are having their dogs stolen in much higher numbers and not reporting it or b) the perception of the risk of theft is elevated.

But, at least around here in rural North Yorkshire, the risk seems to be about the same as usual.

 

[SimonBurchell]

Around my way, a policeman is fast becoming a cryptid... Closure of local police station, no noticeable patrols etc. Less chance of reporting I would say.

 

[catseye]

Around my way, a policeman is fast becoming a cryptid... Closure of local police station, no noticeable patrols etc. Less chance of reporting I would say.

But you can report a stolen dog over the phone. You don't have to actually find a physical policeman to tell.

 

[Trevp666]

Whenever I hear a report of inadequate police response to anything I am always reminded of Chief Wiggum in 'The Simpsons'.

 

[SimonBurchell]

But you can report a stolen dog over the phone. You don't have to actually find a physical policeman to tell.

Sure, but I think there is a collapse in confidence in the police, due to the withdrawal of services, so people are less likely to report.

 

[catseye]

Sure, but I think there is a collapse in confidence in the police, due to the withdrawal of services, so people are less likely to report.

If anyone steals my dog then confidence in the police or not, I would report it to every damn authority I could think of, put up posters and shout it from the rooftops! Lack of confidence in the police wouldn't stop reports of kidnap, would it?

I guess it depends on how you perceive the severity of the crime. I may not pin my confident hopes on the police to get my dog back, but I would want to make as much noise about it as possible to increase the chances.

 

[IbisNibs]

Don't forget social media! I don't routinely use social media myself (beyond this forum, it this counts) but it works really well for lost people, pets and other stuff. The police, even at their very best, are not omniscient or omnipresent.

 

[escargot]

Back to 'dognapping' - in the next town along, an owner left two Labradors tied up outside a shop and they weren't there on the owner's return.

The post about it has been shared around Facebook -

Two male black labs have been stolen outside m&s at 6:15pm today, has anyone seen anything? Please can you help? We want to get them back to their owner!!!

Cab't help thinking, What kind of stoopid does it take to leave dogs unattended?

Yup, I know, people should be able to do that.

 

[Min Bannister]

Cab't help thinking, What kind of stoopid does it take to leave dogs unattended?

Everyone who owns a dog does that?

 

[escargot]

Everyone who owns a dog does that?

You mean leave them tied up outside a shop?

 

[Min Bannister]

You mean leave them tied up outside a shop?

Yes. I see it all the time. You can't take them in.

 

[Mythopoeika]

Yes. I see it all the time. You can't take them in.

Yes, people have been doing that since the year dot.