Prevent the Loss of Pets
- Ensure that pets always wear up-to-date ID tags.
- Have pets tattooed and micro-chipped – with microchipping, a pet may even be returned from another country if she has stowed away on a truck or ship.
- Have pets neutered and spayed to reduce the likelihood of roaming and serious fights.
- Be aware of the dangers posed by pet thieves.
- Support legislation that aims to eliminate licenses for Class B animal dealers, who frequently steal pets from yards and neighborhood streets and sell them for experimentation.
- Advocate for tougher animal cruelty laws. Encourage others to do likewise by informing them about the link between animal cruelty and violence toward people.
Unfortunately, not all pet loss stories have happy endings, but there have been many pets that have been reunited with their owners even after being missing for more than a year. In one remarkable case, a woman ended up readopting a cat she had lost many years previously, after finding him at the SPCA where she was looking to adopt a new cat. In another happy tale, a pet traveled through 1,000 miles of the Australian outback to be reunited with his owners.
Between 1.5 and 2 million pets are stolen every year, and only 10% are returned to their owners.
Preventing Pet Theft
Cats and dogs are stolen for a variety of reasons. If they are lucky, it’s simply a case of someone who sees a cute animal and wants to keep it as a pet, but there are many worse fates that stolen pets may suffer, including:
- Being sold to research laboratories or pet stores
- Being subjected to sadistic acts by psychopathic individuals
- Becoming bait or fighters for dog-fighting rings
- Being used as puppy mill breeders
- Being sold as meat to feed exotic pets or humans
- Having their fur made into clothing and accessories