Pet Scoop -- How To Protect Your Pets from Thieves

Whether you view the animals you live with as pets, loved ones, children or pack leaders, this is a scary trend. MSNBC reports that "some dognappers are stealing pets for quick profit...It's not just dogs who are stolen, although they're the most common targets. Cats are at risk too." From the MSNBC.com, Pet thefts rise as economy hits dog-gone low, ways to protect against pet theft:

• Don't leave your dog alone in your yard for long periods, especially if it's visible from the street.
• If strangers approach you with admiring comments about your dog, don't share information about his cost or where you live.
• Report a theft to police and animal control as soon as it happens.
• Keep a current photo of your pet so you can make flyers or posters immediately and post the photo on Web sites.
• If possible, hold back some kind of descriptive information about your pet so you can sort out crank calls from serious ones.
• Microchip your dogs and cats, and keep microchip registration information up to date so shelters and veterinarians can contact you if your pet is found. A microchip also serves as proof that an animal belongs to you.
• A tattoo on the inner thigh is a permanent way of identifying your dog if the tattoo is registered with a tracking organization such as National Dog Registry.
• Consider GPS for your pet. New GPS collars allow owners to set up a safety zone. If the pet strays beyond it, an alert goes out e-mail and text message. The collars have potential for tracking missing dogs, but they're expensive at $129.99 and up, and they can be removed by someone who finds the dog and decides to keep it.

Not only has the economy hit a new "dog-gone low", Americans have too, if this is the way they deal.

If your pet ever does disappear, whether through theft or running away, missing-pet Web sites such as dogdetective.com and K9 Amber Alert may help.

Interested in GPS? For the entire system Garmin ASTRO BUNDLE DC 30 Collar Plus Astro 220. If you are upgrading your Astro 220 -- here is the link to the Garmin DC 30 Transmitter Collar.

Read More in: Collars and Leashes | Electronics | Pet News | Pet Sitting and Services

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