Dog Fighting Ring Hoaxes and Facebook
In light of the many different dog fighting hoaxes circulating, we offer some practical advice for dog owners as opposed to spreading unverified and counterproductive information.
It would appear, bizarrely, that online pranksters seem determined to flood social networking sites with one very particular subset of rumour – phantom dog fighting rings.
Unverified photos circulating of a dog fighting ring member – Reports of a mysterious white van nabbing dogs from at least 8 different locations in the UK – Dastardly plans of labelling houses with coloured stickers to furtively identify pets – Or a number of identical yet false warnings about dog fighting rings actively stealing pets from dozens of locations around the world.
It seems social networking pranksters have gone cuckoo for dog fighting rumours.
And it’s no wonder, since the rumours have managed to persistently fool hundreds of thousands of gullible – albeit well-meaning – social networkers. The rumours spread from person to person because, after all, we all like to look after each other and no one likes the idea of criminals being active in their area.
And of course these rumours also circulate so well because dog fighting rings are real and these things can happen.
So, in the spirit of being dog lovers ourselves and to try and put a curb on these false rumours spreading, we’ve researched the subject and come up with this practical advice for dog owners to help them keep their treasured pets safe and sound.
And whilst social media can be used to spread specific alerts to help pet owners in certain areas when this type of crime becomes suddenly active, such alerts should always be accompanied with a verifiable source such as a local media or police report about the issue. False or unverified alerts are counterproductive.
So here goes…
– Don’t leave you dog unattended. Of course it might sound obvious not to let your dog out unattended but you may be surprised to learn that many dogs are stolen from front and even backyards. There have been reports of minors (13-16 years of age) being paid to go into gardens to collect dogs. If you let your dog out make sure you keep a constant eye on it at all times. Never leave your dog outside if you are not at your house.
– Secure your garden – if you do need to leave a dog unattended for whatever reason, make sure it is confined to the garden and is difficult to get to. This means high fences and padlocked gates. Make sure the dog is out of view from passers-by.
– Don’t let your dog stray during walks. When walking a dog, never let your dog out of your sight – even in areas considered safe and have low crime rates as these areas can be specifically targeted by thieves because dog owners may let their guard down in these places. Dogs can be trained not to leave their owner sight during walks and when out of the house.
– Don’t publicise your dog’s name. A dog is more likely to wander off with a stranger if the stranger knows the dog’s name.
– Don’t let your dog escape! Make sure your front and backyards are secure and a dog cannot escape.
– Remember that all dogs can be used by dog fighting rings. It’s true that Terrier dogs like Staffordshire’s and Pit Bulls are more at risk but any dog can be stolen for dog fighting rings. Even cats can be used in fighting rings.
– Microchip your dog. Tags and collars can easily be taken off by criminals. Microchipping is the best way of identifying a dog.
Can you think of more tips for keeping your dog safe? Let us know in the comments.
Further Reading –
Fido Friendly – How to prevent your dog from being stolen: Expert weighs in
CourierMail – Family Pets Feared Lost to Dig Fighting
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