I’m praying for my dog, and all the other victims of pet theft
HOW lovely to see Paul O’Grady back on our screens again with his series For The Love Of Dogs, about the sterling work of Battersea Dogs Home. As one of hundreds of pet owners in the UK who has lost a dog, it’s a hard programme to watch, but watch it I must, in case by some weird chance my dog has slipped through all the cross-checking of microchips, written and photographic descriptions, and is waiting there for me to bring her home. Until my own dog was stolen four weeks ago, I had no idea just how many owners are having their beloved pets taken by unscrupulous criminals, who then sell them on internet websites. My dog has been registered on DogLost, a nationwide website doing a fantastic job in trying to reunite owners and their pets. A quick calculation shows that in the four weeks since my pet vanished more than 300 dogs have been registered as lost on this website alone. Happily, some are soon back with their owners, but others have been missing for months, or years. It’s heartbreaking. Our overstretched police can do nothing to help: if you lose a dog, you’re on your own. Thank goodness for the caring community of dog lovers who try their best to help in the searches. Like most responsible dog owners, we did the right things: our dog had a collar, ID tag and microchip but, unfortunately, all this is to no avail if someone takes off your dog’s collar and doesn’t have it scanned for the chip. As I watch Paul O’Grady, I have two prayers: for every dog in Battersea to find a good home and for all those people who have had their beloved pets cruelly taken from them to be reunited with them soon.
HELEN WHITING, Southall, Middx.