Dognaps Terrorize London Pet Owners

Feb. 28, 2007 — -- The idea of a dognap may conjure up images of a blindfolded dog with a gun to its head, perhaps a voice growling into the phone, "Your money or your mutt."

But this crime is real, and it's no laughing matter.

Pooches are disappearing from London's streets at an alarming rate. Dognapping, even at gunpoint, has become one of the fastest-growing crimes in the city, with the rate of stolen dogs up 74 percent in the last year, according to the Metropolitan Police.

Some of the stolen dogs are later abandoned when the thieves realize how much is involved in caring for dogs.

In that case, the animals are sometimes found wandering the streets of London, and are picked up and taken to shelters like Battersea Dogs and Cats Home, which has noted a rise in the crime rate because of how popular and valuable these dogs have become in London.

"The Staffordshire bull terrier that has been highlighted recently in the MET [police] report," said Scott Craddock of Battersea Dogs and Cats Home. "It's very popular to breed from that dog."

Some thieves target rare breeds, which can sell for thousands of dollars on the black market. Craddock said people tried to sell them and "make a fast buck."

The crime spree has left owners to fret about their four-legged friends. Even celebrities have fallen prey to the dognappers: Actress Elizabeth Hurley and singer Lily Allen's four-legged friends were nabbed.

The pop star paid nearly $1,000 ransom to get reunited with her beloved dog, Maggie May.

Once a crime has been committed, some owners say the law does not take them seriously because it's difficult to prove a dog has been stolen.

In the eyes of the law, dog theft is the same as the theft of any property. In response, officers say they have sympathy for owners, but admit they have to prioritize.

To help distraught pet owners, two women have taken matters into their own hands. London's dog detectives are known simply as Pam and Phyllis, and they go on stakeouts to look for leads and hunt for stolen pooches.

The pair got involved after a friends' dog was stolen. They were helping the friend and learned about the crime spree on a Web site. When they saw how sad the crimes left the dog owners, they got involved.