MA: Arab Gelding Believed Stolen in East Freetown MA in June 2008

On May 25, 2008, Debbie LaPlante was riding her 17-year-old Arab gelding, Charlz, on a trail in the Freetown-Fall River State Forest.  Without warning, Charlz spooked, and Debbie fell off.  He fled into the woods, only two miles from his home.

On two occasions (June 2nd and 3rd, 2008), Charlz was spotted within a quarter mile of where he'd bolted, but was not able to be caught.  And again, on June 20th, almost a month after his disappearance, some kids claimed they'd seen him in the forest. 

But for the last 18 months, there have been no reported sightings of this bay gelding with a distinctive star and thin white strip on his nose.  And with each passing day, Debbie has become more worried, desperately wanting to recover her beloved equine partner and bring him home.

Charlz stands 15 hands and weighed about 800 pounds when he was last in Debbie's care.  He has a white sock on his left hind, and a faint, faded sock on his right hind.  He's been microchipped.

In February, 2009, Charlz was reported to the police as a possible stolen horse, and he was subsequently listed with the national advocacy group, Stolen Horse International.  There is a $1500 reward for Charlz's safe return.

If you have seen Charlz, or have any information about his current whereabouts, please contact Debbie LaPlante at: dlaplante@epectec.com.

NY: Lamancha Doe Stolen from Slingerlands, NY on October 13, 2009

Sometime between 11pm on Monday, October 12th and 7am on Tuesday, October 13th, thieves broke into a horse barn at 1199 Krumkill Road in Slingerlands, NY and snatched a beautiful seven-month-old Lamancha doe named "Bluebird."

The young chocolate and white female goat, also known as "Birdie," or "Baby Bird," is recovering from a severe case of pneumonia, so the stress of her being removed from the safety and security of her home will further jeopardize her already precarious health.

Bluebird has a tattoo on the underside of her tail, with "PSG" on the left and "Z1" on the right, in green ink.  She weighs between 50-60 pounds, and is extremely friendly. 

Anyone with information about Bluebird's whereabouts should contact her owner, Amanda Dionne.

MAINE: Peek-A-Pom Stolen from Wales ME on Jan 3rd, 2009

A unknown woman who gave the pseudonym, "Mary," tricked a young girl, Chelsea Bergeron, in Wales, Maine, by faking a car accident and absconding with Chelsea's beloved 18-month-old "peek-a-pom," Sydney, on the morning of January 3rd, 2009.

The theft has been reported to the Maine and New Hampshire authorities, but Chelsea is hoping that by publicizing Sydney's case as widely as possible, she may be recovered from an undertain fate.

Sydney is a spayed female. She has a black face, with long, light brown hair that has a goldish tint. She doesn't like other dogs or small kids, and she barks at people she doesn't know.

Sydney was last seen at the "Park and Ride" at Exit 53 in Maine.

If you have seen Sydney, or if you may have information leading to her safe recovery, please contact Chelsea at: laughingpiratex3@yahoo.com.

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