MA: Two Dogs Stolen from Ahimsa Shelter in Winchendon on Nov 1, 2008

Token, a 5-year-old recently neutered Pitbull and Hannah, a 10-month-old Boxer mix puppy, were stolen from the Ahimsa Haven Animal Rescue in Winchendon on November 1, 2008, according to a story by Gail Stanton in today's Worcester Telegram & Gazette.

The Rescue is offering a $250 (each) reward for the dogs' return.

If you have any information that could be helpful, please call Ahimsa at 978-297-2673 or Email Marjorie Twiraga at marjorie@ahimsahaven.org.

ME: Whereabouts of Stolen Chicken Flock are Now Known

The good news is that Kim Tessier has learned that her missing flock is on a horse farm in Lebanon, Maine.

The bad news is that the people who have the chickens and ducks have been unwilling to release them to her.

Stay tuned. . .

Kim is still desperate for help in recovering her birds. If you can offer help or advice, please give her a call at: 603-724-5892.

Reports of Stolen Animals Rise as Economy Falls

The American Kennel Club has tracked three times as many dog thefts during the first six months of 2008 as they had for all of 2007, according to Pet Thefts Rise As Economy Hits Dog-Gone Low: Some Dognappers are Stealing Pets for Quick Profit, by Kim Campbell Thornton, in an article dated July 28, 2008 on MSNBC.com.

Among the stolen breeds tracked by the AKC in 2008, according to Campbell Thornton, are Yorkshire Terriers, Poodles, Pomeranians, a Shih Tzu, Bulldogs, Corgis, a Norwich Terrier and a Mastiff. In other words, the fancier breeds that tend to command a higher price tag.

Not all of stolen canines are victims of organized crime rings. In many cases, the thefts seem to be opportunistic, with numerous reports of suspicious vans stalking neighborhoods just waiting to pounce as soon as an unspecting owner's attention is diverted.

According to Lt. John Kerwick, president of the U.S. Police Canine Association, Region 7, New York, “the average guy doesn’t wake up in the morning and think about stealing a dog for a family member or himself, but the dog is there, there’s no one watching, and they take him.”

In one documented case, armed thieves broke in to a home that had advertised Yorkshire Terrier puppies for sale, and literally seized the dogs at gunpoint.

NH: Flocks of Chickens and Ducks Stolen on July 10, 2008

If you've never raised and loved chickens, you may find it hard to understand how horrible it would be to learn that the flock you've raised since they were chicks or ducklings has been deliberately stolen.

This is what happened to Kim Tessier and her family in Barnstead, New Hampshire on July 10th. On that day, they moved from Barnstead to Maine and due to unforseen circumstances, they had to leave about two dozen chickens and 19 ducks behind. They paid a man to pick up all of the birds and deliver them to the family's new home in Stacyville, Maine, but that's where things turned ugly.

The man showed up with only five of the 50 birds, and claimed that the rest were being cared for by a woman in Barrington, NH. The thing is: he won't tell her who the person is, and now he won't return phone calls. Something is terribly wrong. Kim and her four children are inconsolable. They want their birds back.

Kim has furnished this list of the missing birds, several of whom are pictured here. It's obvious that they are "fancy" varieties, and that the person who has them thinks he or she can make some money by peddling them or their babies.

It's a little like looking for a needle in a haystack, but if you've heard about these birds or have any information that may be helpful in recovering them, please contact Kim Tessier at 603-724-5892.

Black Giant Cochin rooster: "KING KONG".. HE WAS MY BABY!
Black Giant Cochin pullet
Buff Giant Cochin pullet
2 Blue Giant Cochin hens

2 Standard White Polish roosters
Standard White Polish hen
Standard Black Polish hen-missing toes and feet (skunk got her toes thru cage when she was a baby)
2 Standard Gold Laced Polish roosters
Standard Gold Laced Polish pullet
2 Standard Buff Laced Polish pullets
Standard Black/White Crested Black Polish pullet
Standard Birchen Polish pullet
Standard Buff Laced Frizzle Polish rooster
Sultan rooster

2 Bantam White Japanese Roosters
2 Bantam Mottled Japanese Hens

Black Bantam Frizzle pullet
White Bantam Frizzle hen

Call Ducks and Bantam Ducks (1 1/2 -2 lbs)
5 Whites- 4 females,1 drake
3 Tan (drakes)
1 Blue hen
1 Black drake-very small
1 Blue w/White bib female
3 Black w/White bibs- 2 drakes,1 female
1 Copper female
1 Gray drake-very small -looks like a mallard
3 East Indies- (all black w/green,purple and blue sheen) 1 drake,2 girls

MA: National Show Horse Gelding Stolen on Sept. 10, 2007

J.N. Wonder (aka "JJ"), an 11-year-old National Show Horse (Arabian/Saddlebred) gelding (shown here) was being ridden with a few other seasoned trail horses from the Perry Paquette Equestrian Center in Fairhaven, MA on September 9th, 2007 when he was spooked by a herd of cows and galloped off, still fully tacked.

JJ was at the end of Old Mill Road in Fairhaven when he bolted. He has not been seen since, but reliable information indicates that he was stolen the next day by someone who loaded him into a cattle trailer. He could be anywhere at this point.

JJ is a bay gelding with no white markings who stands 15.2 hands and weighed approximately 900-1000 lbs. when he was last seen by his legal caretakers.

JJ's owner, Marge Mullen, is offering a $5000 reward for his safe return.

If you have any information that might be helpful in locating JJ, please contact Marge at: 401-247-7789 or redmm97@cox.net.

February 14th is Pet Theft Awareness Day

According to Last Chance for Animals (LCA), perhaps as many as two million animals are stolen in the United States each year. That's a staggering figure.

Some 50,000 are horses, and some are farm animals, such as cows. But the overwhelming majority are dogs and cats. In so many cases, their people will never find out what has happened to them. That is heartbreaking, and it is one of the reasons I have launched the "Finding Animals Stolen Tipline" (FAST). As this community continues to grow, we will make a difference.

This year marks the 20th time that LCA has used the occasion of Valentine's Day to bring awareness to the problem of animal theft, and to educate animal-loving people about how they can protect their creature companions from becoming victims. Their public service announcement shows how shockingly easy it is for an unsupervised animal to be grabbed in broad daylight.

I hope it never happens to you, or to the animals you love. Keep them close.

NH: English Bulldog Puppy Stolen from Pet Store on 2/11/08

A three-month-old male red brindle and white English Bulldog puppy was stolen from the Sea World Pet Center in Salem, NH at approximately 7:30pm on Monday, February 11th, 2008.

The store's surveillance cameras captured the theft, and the thief, as shown here in this dramatic photo sequence. At 7:32pm, a puppy is plainly visible in the middle pen. By 7:34pm, that puppy is gone. At 7:38pm, a 20-something male with light brown or dark blonde hair is clearly shown with something the size of a puppy tucked into his green bomber jacket. He walked out of the puppy room, and subsequently left the store.

Read more details in The Salem Observer and the Eagle-Tribune, which notes that the abductor had apparently been casing the store for at least a few weeks before the crime.

If you have any information, please contact the Sea World Pet Center at (603) 898-1441. The missing puppy is also listed through Help Me Find My Pet, Lost ID #u94724. Contact them at 866-699-FIND or info@helpmefindmypet.com.

This puppy has been microchipped.

MA: Standard Poodle Missing on 1/30/08, Possibly Stolen

Marshall, a 5-year-old white intact male Standard Poodle, was last seen on the morning of January 30th on Institution Drive in Great Barrington, MA.

His people have conducted exhaustive searches throughout the area and all surrounding towns, and he is the subject of a SABER Alert by the Animal Control Officers Association of Massachusetts. All to no avail.

As a result, it is believed that Marshall has been abducted, and may even have left the state.

Marshall weighs about 48-50 pounds and is about 25 inches tall. He was last seen wearing a scissored puppy trim. He is microchipped.

Because he is so friendly, Marshall's distraught breeder and caretaker believe that it would have been easy for him to have been picked up and taken by a stranger, possibly even someone who was only in the area for the weekend.

Please contact Carol Cande (413-684-2561 or 413-822-4062) or Andrea Buchman (413-528-2101) if you have any information that may lead to Marshall's recovery, or feel free to Email MHarmonay@fastnewengland.org. There is a reward, no questions asked!

NH: German Wirehaired Pointer Missing or Stolen

Sweetie, a 2-1/2-year old female German Wirehaired Pointer, was last seen on Saturday, January 26th on Old Harrisville Road, off Rte. 101, across from Dublin Pond in Dublin NH.

Sweetie was with her owner, on her owner's property, when she ran down the driveway and started barking. The owner, who was a distance away, believes that a car or truck stopped at the end of the driveway at that point, and suddenly, the barking stopped. Sweetie has not been seen since then.

Sweetie is liver and dark red, with dark guard hairs and a spot of white on her tail. She has an occasional limp in her hindquarters. She is microchipped with her breeder's ID (Linda Thompson of Oakhyll Kennel in Hubbardston, MA).

Sweetie's owner is heartsick, and has plastered the area with flyers, and posted reward ads in the local papers.

Unfortunately, we do not have a photo of Sweetie, but here is a link to the AKC's breed page on German Wirehaired Pointers.

If you have any information about Sweetie, please immediately contact Nancy Cowan @ falconers@comcast.net.

CT: Palomino Now Reported Found

The latest word from Stolen Horse International is that King, the Palomino reported missing or stolen in Connecticut, has now been found.

His owner contacted me this morning to say: "I am happy to report that King has been recovered and is safe. Other than some cuts and the fact that he is lean he is doing fine. He should be coming home soon."

I share her joy and gratitude!

CT: Palomino Gelding Missing on Jan 29 2008

King, a palomino gelding, is missing under suspicious circumstances from a facility in the Winsted/Colebrook area of Connecticut, not far from the Massachusetts border, as reported by Stolen Horse International.

According to his owner, King was a barrel horse. She notes that his bottom teeth (not his jaw) tilt forward, just a bit.

More details are available at: http://www.netposse.com/stolenmissing/missing_1/KingCTmissingJan08.htm

To report information about King's whereabouts, please contact the Connecticut State Police, or refer to the owner's contact information at the Netposse link.

Introducing the "Finding Animals Stolen Tipline" (FAST)

In April of 2007, I received a disturbing call from a woman who contacted me to see if I could communicate with her two dogs, who had been stolen in an act of revenge six months before. She had tried everything, including filing police reports, visiting local shelters, and even calling her congressman. The dogs were still missing, and the trail had gone cold.

The heartache that ensues when a beloved animal is lost or missing is painful, but when the missing animal has been deliberately snatched away, it is just devastating.

While there are many resources for people whose animals have escaped or strayed from home, there is much less support for those whose creature companions are the victims of what can only be described as a ruthless crime.

Whether motivated by malice, greed, envy, or some perverted form of mischief, it doesn’t matter, because the results are the same. The kidnapped animal is thrust into a terrifying and confusing situation, and all too frequently, is poorly fed, housed, and cared for. In situations like these, the prospects for a successful reunion of an animal with his people have been poor.

I want to change that. It is my fervent goal that the Finding Animals Stolen Tipline (FAST) will offer hope and practical advice to the people left behind, with one urgent goal: to recover their animals alive, as soon as possible.

First, FAST will work to prevent the theft of animals, by promoting understanding of the measures people can take to safeguard those in their care.

Second, FAST will serve as an Internet-based dragnet to shine a spotlight on the faces of stolen animal companions, making it more difficult for thieves to hide them out in the shadows. Victims will be able to file anonymous reports, with a photograph and description of their missing animal, which will be searchable by city and state.

Third, FAST will provide a roadmap of links for victims, with directions on how to enlist legal assistance and effectively use existing resources in the recovery of their purloined pets.

Fourth, FAST will sponsor a live discussion forum, FAST TALK, where people with tips about stolen animals can furnish details about their current location and circumstances. Accessible via a link from this website, FAST TALK will be a place where we can share practical information about prevention and recovery, provide support and consolation, and, I hope, rejoice together when animals are reunited with their loved ones.

FAST New England will cover the New England states of Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Vermont, and Rhode Island.

I invite you to join me in this worthwhile venture, and welcome your participation.

Maureen Harmonay
Animal Translations
AnimalTranslations.com