I heard an awful story from a local tonight and it has really upset me. We know dog theft is on the up, but one lady found her little Patterdale dead, ripped to pieces actually. It seems that "a certain section of the community" are stealing feisty dogs such as Patterdales, starving them to make them hyper, then putting them in a pit to fight to the death. I am looking at my beautiful little Patterdale with a sick feeling in the pit of my stomach and I know without a doubt that I would kill, without a second thought, anyone who hurt any of my dogs. It makes you frightened to leave them alone at home even for a short while, and we have had trouble in this area before.
Sorry, I just needed to let out my emotions.

This is one of the reasons that we have Dog Watch in the Thames Valley Police region. This is not the first case I have heard of sadly.

OMG that is awful, sick is not the word for it

I heard about this too, didn't know if it was an urban-myth but apparently it is true! I feel sick just thinking about it. My neighbour had their dog stolen from their house and got it back when someone spotted it drugged in the back of a car, the people who had stolen it had previous for dog fighting so they assumed that's what he had been taken for, terrifying stuff. I am paranoid now that any of mine could be stolen, so I never leave them outside shops etc and they come to work with us instead of staying at home. I could cope with losing the tv and laptops, but take my dogs and you'll feel my wrath!

It's awful! I'm paranoid about my dogs being stolen too. My OH caught somebody lifting our Chihuahua over our gate! they had only been let out in the garden for a few minutes! :-O

A lady I go dog walking with had a scare last week, they live in the middle of nowhere, 4 vans pulled up outside her house and some men got out with dog leads and walked over to the the dogs pen! she was out at the time it was only because she had seen it on their security camera because a neighbour told them gypsy's had been hanging around. They didn't get any of the dogs because there is so many locks on the door to the pen. But they tried! the door is in a state! she is now taking the dogs with her to work.

It might be helpful if folks put the area in their posts to alert other owners around there that there is a problem ?

Someone near me had their bitch and litter of pups stolen. It breaks your heart doesn't it.

There is also a video on you tube of a man trying to steal some dogs (video from the owner's CCTV camera). The owner comes out and disturbs him and then the thief comes back with an axe and threatens the owner... Hideous stuff.