Warning to dog owners across the country!

Dog theft is on the rise in Ireland and burglars are marking houses with high value dogs. We know burglars are known to tag homes with spray paint or chalk, where they can mark if a home has an alarm or not, but in this latest trend burglars are tagging homes with a piece of string or a cable tie, which usually placed on a fence outside your home.

This marking means that your home has a valuable dog and they are marking it, so they know where to strike when they return.

If you spot one of these strings or cable ties (or anything similar), it’s recommended that you remove it immediately and report it to the Gardaí. Some homeowners have also seen cables like this this placed onto their car.

The Gardaí have issued some tips to help keep your dog safe during the recent spike in thefts.

View the full detailed prevention tips on Garda.ie

Lynne Cullen, administrator of Missing Dogs Ireland had this to say:

“I am doing this ten years now. The last few weeks it has just got out of hand. It is actually like a pandemic of missing and stolen dogs. Every single hour of the day somebody’s dog is gone – missing, stolen, never to be seen again.”

Wicklow Alerts Facebook page, which had some of its members receive the cable tie on their fence, also posted an update of possible culprits after an attempted dog theft.

DoneDeal have thankfully suspended the sale of dogs on their platform to after the recent rise dog thefts.

We recommend all HomeSecure customers who are dog owners to be vigilant and even if you’re your home with your dog, we recommend putting on the Stay Mode where possible. That way your system will activate if someone even attempts to enter your home.