Gardaí warn owners after increase in dognapping
A RECENT spate of dog thefts has continued with four foxhound puppies, worth more than €500 each, stolen in Co Galway.
Gardaí issued a warning to dog owners to watch their pets amid a trend of dognapping across the country.
The latest incident, gardaí said, is especially worrying because the puppies were only four weeks old and too young to be separated from their mother.
The three male puppies and one female, which are white, black and tan, were taken from their mother who was with them at the time at their home in Craughwell last weekend.
A Garda spokesperson advised dog owners to have their pets microchipped so they may be located if they are stolen.
“Pets should be microchipped so they can be easily identified if found,” the spokesperson said.
“Place contact details on the animal’s collar.
“Additional crime prevention measures should be considered in the home, such as CCTV, where a high-value breed of animal is housed,” they added.
“In the instance where a lost animal is found, ensure the rightful owner is being contacted before returning them.”
This comes after dogs of a high value were also believed to have been stolen in Dublin,
Kildare, Cork, Tipperary and Waterford.
In Cork, three incidents of suspected dog theft have occurred over the past fortnight.
In many of the incidents, across all counties, a slowmoving van had been seen in the locality around the time that the dogs had gone missing.
Gardaí have appealed for any information which may help them to stop the theft of animals.