For most animals, leaving the shelter is a dream come true. Ideally, stays in an animal shelter should be brief, but some pups can end up staying for months or years.
However, in some unfortunate cases, a shelter dog will leave after someone steals them, rather than adopt them. Some of these cases involve would-be dog parents making misguided attempts to save the animals in question. Meanwhile, some are attempts to simply acquire a shelter dog without paying a fee. Regardless, both animals and shelter staff often find these situations traumatizing and stressful.
Two Found – One Shelter Dog Still Missing
PAWS Atlanta is a no-kill animal shelter that works hard to find all their animals good homes. That’s why it came as a shock when manager Laura McKelvey discovered that three dogs had been stolen from the shelter.
There’s little motivation to do so, as the dogs were at no risk of euthanasia and were adoptable to the public. So far, the shelter have recovered two dogs, on different dates; shelter staff are hopeful that whoever possesses the third missing pup will come forward. The dogs were unharmed, though the situation was likely stressful and confusing for them.
Preventing Animal Theft
It’s scary to think of someone intentionally abducting a pet from a backyard or home, but these cases do happen. Unfortunately, it’s more likely that this will occur to a pet with a home, not a shelter animal. Purebred animals that fetch high prices even without papers on reselling sites like Craigslist are the most likely targets.
Law enforcement professionals recommend that you treat pets as you would a toddler – don’t leave them unattended in public spaces, even tied outside of a populated building. Beyond that, making sure that you have your pet microchipped and wearing a collar with identification prevents would-be rescuers from taking your pet home with good intentions if they accidentally slip out.
