The Pet Connection’s Pet Talk: Where People and Pets Connect Dog Flippers
Many of you might be like myself, get up on a Saturday or Sunday morning, grab a hot cup of coffee and sit down to watch HGTV. One of my go to shows is about house flipping, renovating and flipping a house for resale. But, how many of you are familiar with dog flippers? Sadly, the only thing they have in common with house flippers is the art of making a quick dollar.
Dog flipping and pet flipping is nothing new, yet not many people are familiar with the term or the act of what these thieves are doing. This illegal act is when someone buys from the backyard breeder, gets an animal free off Facebook or Craigslist, preys on free animals that are needing to be re-homed or just steals your pet from your car or yard and then resells and makes a profit off your loss. They check daily the lost and found pages and you’ll see them on several posts claiming that they are the owner or that they will keep the pet until the owner is located. As many families fall victim to losing their jobs or illness, we are seeing more and more pets advertised “Need to re-home ASAP.” Unfortunately, these dog flippers aren’t looking at giving your pet that forever home, no matter what their sob story might be. All they are looking to do is make a quick buck and profit from your misfortune.
Understand, dog flipping and pet flipping is a criminal act of stealing someone’s pet and then reselling or rehoming claiming to be “rescuing” the animals. So many times I’ve cautioned people about finding an animal and advertising all in the same paragraph, found dog or cat and then trying to re-home it to a total stranger without first finding the owner.
Quoting from WTOC, “The American Kennel Club said reselling, called pet flipping, has grown 800 percent since 2008,” and a 31 percent increase has been reported by the AKC since 2012. I am sure those numbers are through the roof now with the way our economy. AKC stated that in 2008 when they started keeping statistics on dog flipping they had only 71 dog thefts. Moving on into 2014 their records showed dog thefts rising to 637.
The most commonly flipped dogs that are stolen are, pit bulls or pit bull mixes, yorkies, shih tzu, german shepherd, pomeranian, chihuahua, and bulldogs. Dog flippers will get the dog however they need to, either by stealing it from your yard or claiming to be the owner of a lost pet. So, once they have the dog in their possession it’s game on to resell your family pet.
So how do you protect your family pet? Never brag or advertise how much you just bought your pet for. If a stranger on the streets asks about your pet and trust me, these dog flippers have no shame in their game. They will give you every sob story they’ve got, from their dog dying to how they had one that looked just like yours. Protect your pets at all cost.
Remember these pets that they are reselling they could be going to dog fighters, used in labs for animal testing you just have no ideas what and where these family pets may end up.
How many of you read daily on the lost and found posts where the pet owner says, “Well he usually will be gone just a couple days, but he hasn’t come home.” Beautiful and rare looking dogs and cats can bring home a good living for these thieves. Even if your dog isn’t the prettiest in the litter can still fall victim to a cruel fate
and end up in a dog fighting ring. Dog flippers or pet flippers don't just limit themselves to just domestic pets, they will also go after reptiles and exotic birds to make their living.
Protecting your animals is your responsibility, you are their voice and their protector. Here are some ways to help protect your pets from falling victim to a dog flipper. Always microchip your pet
Keep the microchip info current Never let your pet roam free
Keep your pets inside and supervised Install security cameras
Never advertise any pet for free Notice reoccurring names on social media offering to foster or take lost and found dogs
Notice usually markings on your home or curb placed their by dog flippers. Possibly paint markings or a flag or cloth hung in a tree.
Watch how a lost or found dog interacts with “the owner” if they say it's theirs
Show proof, vet records, pictures, etc.
Never, never leave your pets unattended
Lock all gates, make it difficult for them to gain entry, but never leave pets unattended even when your home.
If you believe that your pet has been taken, report it immediately to law enforcement and to animal control. Immediately post on all social media, go door to door, post fliers of the missing/stolen pet, contact your veterinarian. Post fliers with reward, but do not list a reward amount. Contact grooming businesses in your area and surrounding areas with description of your pet. These dog flippers to be successful must flip your pet. That means by whatever is available, to sell and get that money. Watch sites on Facebook and Craigslist for re-homing or pets for sale listings.
If you believe your pet is being held, sold, or re-homed, contact law enforcement with the information.
Please don't litter, spay and neuter.