To prevent heartbreak in the community, a new group aims to address the issue of pet abduction in Alberta by spreading their message on Pet Awareness Day on Feb. 14.
Through the work of the Alberta Abducted Dogs Welfare Association (AADWA), founder Aynsley Foss, said the day serves to shed light on those who have had their lives forever changed due to the abduction of their pet.
On Nov. 27, 2023, Foss’ dog, Dixie, was abducted stolen from her property.
“We recovered her Air Tag about 15 minutes from the house, discarded in a ditch without her collar,” she said. “We heard voices on the road that day, and I live on a very private road, and there weren’t any neighbours around that day.
“It was while I was doing chores, so we assume she was baited out and stolen at that point.”
Since Dixie’s abduction, Foss said she has been working closely with the police to recover here, but with no success so far. Since November of last year, Foss said she is one of many who have affected, which led her to start the AADWA.
“We’ve been tracking statistics, but only since November, and since the beginning there’s been 52 stolen dogs, as well as one attempted stolen dog that was returned dead from being poisoned,” Foss said.
Foss said the AADWA consists of three pillars that include an investigative unit that is made up of current and former police officers, victim resources to help those who have had their pet abducted, and government, public and media relations that aim to change legislation around pet abduction.
“If someone steals your pet it’s considered theft under $5,000, therefore not thoroughly investigated,”
Foss said. “So, we are trying to amend laws similar to what they have in the UK, where they are not recognized as property, they’re recognized as living beings, and we are hoping to do some regulatory overhaul in that aspect.”
For pet owners in the community, Foss said there are several steps that they can make to ensure their pets aren’t abducted from their homes when they least expect it.
“There’s quite a few preventative steps, making sure you have your eyes on pets at all times, treating them like a toddler and not letting them out of your sight, walking your property for any signs of bait or markings on the fences, [and] even microchipping is huge,” Foss explained.
Foss adds that stolen dogs are often used for puppy mills, and said that having your dogs spayed and neutered is an additional step pet owners can take. Furthermore, neighbours can always keep an eye out if they notice anything suspicious regarding their neighbour’s pets.
Foss said if anyone has been recently affected by pet abduction to quickly reach out to RCMP or local law enforcement.
“If they turn you away, ask to speak to someone higher up,” Foss said. “All crime should be reported.”