Pet owners warned to watch for dognappers Alert after ‘full-on’ questions
Residents in Perthshire are on high alert for dognappers after two men acted suspiciously.
The strangers approached a private garden in Crieff on August 9 and asked a woman lots of questions about a dog – before asking if she would part with it.
Lisa Wise was watching her friend Emma’s dog when the men spoke to her.
They brought the conversation round to whether the dog might be sold to them.
She quickly took the pet in the house and shared her concerns on the Crieff and Strathearn Friendship page on Facebook.
Lisa wrote: “The deal broker question was when they asked ‘would you sell her?’
“I said no, she’s not for sale, and took her inside.”
Lisa said other people in Crieff encountered the same two men that evening, making enquiries about other dogs.
She claimed one man was so concerned by the unwanted attention that he told the men to clear off.
The incident was shared by Katie McCandless-Thomas on the Missing Pets Perth and Kinross Scotland Facebook page, which is widely used to report animals lost, found and stolen.
The post read: “I’ve been alerted that there are two guys approaching dog owners in the Crieff area of Perthshire and are being quite full on by asking a lot of questions regarding their dogs before then asking the owner would they sell their dog.
“I’ve asked anyone who has experienced this to make sure they report this to the police, especially as two dogs have been stolen in recent weeks in Perthshire.”
Katie warned everyone to be extra vigilant and not to leave their dog unattended in their garden and “especially don’t leave your dog tied up alone outside a shop.”
The Perthshire animal lover added she had heard of some owners who had “a gut feeling” that something was not right about a stranger’s questions and had chosen to tell “white lies” to protect their pet.
She added: “Some people decide when someone is asking a lot of unsolicited questions and taking more interest in their pet that you’d normally expect not to give the dog’s real name.
“Others drop in details like the dog is old, has behavioural issues or health problems to make it seem less appealing to a potential dognapper.”
Police recently investigated the disappearance of two female cocker spaniels, suspected stolen from their kennel in Rait.
Between 9pm on July 24 and 9pm the following day the two dogs went missing from Flawcraig, Rait.
Both animals are microchipped with the owner’s details.
One is described as liver and white in colour and the other is black with a roan stripe on her chest.
Police said: “It is suspected that these bitches have been stolen from their kennel although that has not yet been confirmed.”
Anyone with information can contact them on 101.