Dognapping on the Rise: How to Keep Your Pets Safe

Dec. 22, 2009— -- A quick trip inside the post office to mail a package. A dash into the coffee shop for a latte.

Pet owners often don't think twice about leaving their dogs outside while they run a quick errand, but experts say pet thefts are a rising trend and owners need to take more precautions.

"The American Kennel Club has been tracking pet thefts for over two years," Lisa Peterson, director of communications for the American Kennel Club, told "Good Morning America."

"We have seen a dramatic increase in this type of crime. In fact, the FBI National Crime Information Center tracks stolen pets and pet owners don't know that if their dog is stolen and has a microchip that they can file a police report to help them get their pet back."

The number of U.S. pet thefts has risen 30 percent in the past year alone, Peterson said.

"Good Morning America" safety and security expert Bill Stanton said that it's not hard to remove a dog from a car parked with the window open or to untie the animal from outside a cafe.

Gretchen Dirks let Stanton prove how easy it is to steal a dog by leaving her standard poodle Brando in a Colorado store parking lot and walking away.

Within minutes, Stanton was prowling around her car, telling passersby he was thinking of taking the dog and no one batted an eye.

He even asked women walking by if Brando was their dog, telling them, "It's a beautiful dog. It's just ripe for the taking. I'm thinking about taking him."

The women simply continued on their way and Stanton made off with Brando minutes later.

"I feel really bad," one of the women, Christy Loudon, told "Good Morning America.

"If it was a real situation, the dog would be gone, obviously. You need to pay more attention to things around you."

Experts say many owners believe their dogs will be safe for the few minutes they are out of sight, but that's all it takes for a thief to move in.

"I think pet owners need to be informed and aware that when they do tie their dog up outside a coffee shop or if they leave their dog in the car to run a few errands that they are making their pet a potential target for crime," the Kennel Club's Peterson said. "And that is when a number of these pet thefts do occur."