Free to good home ads- V. Important to read this

euser1984

Just thought it was important for other people to know this...

If you don't have a facebook account I will try and get you the information another way as it's very very important for everyone to know about this..

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.586338404719190.1073741843.145876848765350&type=1

Mod note: Readers, please be aware that there are grapic images with this link which some may find upsetting.
Thanks,
DBB

DBB

I'll not deny that this sort of thing goes on, however I find this type of article, along with the misspellings, utterly sensationalist and designed to scaremonger.
They provide no links (other one to another sensationalist, American website) to back up anything they say, make vague comments about rescue groups having carried out studies (really? Link please!), and tell people to stick their noses into other people's business, which may work sometimes, but could get you verbally abused, at best, sometimes too.
Again, let me reiterate that I appreciate the fact that this theft can happen, but I don't know of any cases of dogs in Ireland having been stolen as bait dogs, and I work with dogs, and rescue them, so am pretty steeped in Dogdom. But maybe this is just good fortune on my part. Does anyone else know of dogs that were stolen, and later recovered, and obviously used for baiting? Maybe there's a regional thing going on, as some parts of Ireland are worse than others in the cruelty "league".
All stolen dogs that I know who were subsequently recovered had been stolen either to breed from, or stolen to order for the pet dog industry, both reasonably easy ways to make money.
I'm all for raising awareness, but to do so in the manner of the linked article just puts me off. Some good, hard evidence of the Irish situation would be a good start.

Pumpkinseeds

I haven't any links, but I can remember reading about a few cases of dogs being found in Ireland with wounds consistent with having been used for baiting fighting dogs. I've also seen a rescue post on Facebook, from an Irish Rescue, can't remember which one, that they had a query from someone wanting cats to use for digging out. I mean wtf is wrong with people.

euser1984

DBB wrote: »

I'll not deny that this sort of thing goes on, however I find this type of article, along with the misspellings, utterly sensationalist and designed to scaremonger.
They provide no links (other one to another sensationalist, American website) to back up anything they say, make vague comments about rescue groups having carried out studies (really? Link please!), and tell people to stick their noses into other people's business, which may work sometimes, but could get you verbally abused, at best, sometimes too.
Again, let me reiterate that I appreciate the fact that this theft can happen, but I don't know of any cases of dogs in Ireland having been stolen as bait dogs, and I work with dogs, and rescue them, so am pretty steeped in Dogdom. But maybe this is just good fortune on my part. Does anyone else know of dogs that were stolen, and later recovered, and obviously used for baiting? Maybe there's a regional thing going on, as some parts of Ireland are worse than others in the cruelty "league".
All stolen dogs that I know who were subsequently recovered had been stolen either to breed from, or stolen to order for the pet dog industry, both reasonably easy ways to make money.
I'm all for raising awareness, but to do so in the manner of the linked article just puts me off. Some good, hard evidence of the Irish situation would be a good start.

That's neither here nor there. Dog fighting is big in Ireland (fact) and a part of it is bait for training. It's a secretive illegal underworld and I'm sure they use the easiest means possible to get dogs for bait.

There are professionals and amateurs training.

DBB

You're missing the point, particularly the bits in my post where I specifically said that I don't doubt there's dog fighting in Ireland.
I think it's a bit obvious that there's dog fighting in Ireland. I can assure you that I'm pretty well briefed on various dog issues in Ireland.
What I'm objecting to is the screechy, OMG, scare-the-crap-out-of people nature of the post you linked to, and I'm questioning their utter lack of any substantiation. I'm all for raising awareness, I just object to it being raised in this screechy way.

Ms2011

What I don't get about the idea that people steal dogs to use as bait is there are an awful lot easier ways of getting a dog & one that won't be missed.
9 times out of 10 if someone goes to the trouble of stealing a dog from a back garden or house they want it alive to make money from.

maggiepip

In general most dogs are stolen to sell or breed from and if you have a quick look in google you will see that the 'stolen dogs used for bait' rumour (while Im sure it can happen) is vastly exaggerated and is more of an urban myth.

euser1984

DBB wrote: »

You're missing the point, particularly the bits in my post where I specifically said that I don't doubt there's dog fighting in Ireland.
I think it's a bit obvious that there's dog fighting in Ireland. I can assure you that I'm pretty well briefed on various dog issues in Ireland.
What I'm objecting to is the screechy, OMG, scare-the-crap-out-of people nature of the post you linked to, and I'm questioning their utter lack of any substantiation. I'm all for raising awareness, I just object to it being raised in this screechy way.

Ah ya, fair enough. Don't think there is anything wrong with this approach though seeing as something is better than nothing....and there is nothing else that I have come across, in my last few months as a dog owner.

boomerang

Agree with you DBB, I think it's vastly overstated. In all the years I can only think of two dogs off hand that came into our local rescue, whose wounds were likely to have been inflicted by another dog being trained to fight. One was found tied to a fence close to an estate where there is a dog fighting ring.

I agree there is terrible hysteria about it but hey, may be it's a good thing in a way if it makes people just that little bit more careful when they rehome their dog.

euser1984

I'd be inclined to tell people from now on that dogs can easily be stolen. Doesn't really matter whether there for bait, breeding, selling - the original owner is not going to know what kind of life the dog is going to have.

Even if it is used to breed for example, it could be under poor conditions. While boomerang, you may not have seen many cases of dogs likely to have inflicted wounds via baiting maybe that's because most of them are killed and dumped - it wouldn't been in the interest (of people involved in the scene) to have them arrive at your doorstep.

From my understanding there are lots and lots of greyhounds that just dissapear due to no regulation in the industry - how many do the shelters actually see?

Anyway, having said all the above there are always people with bad intentions, and no matter what your dog could be stolen for; it doesn't matter if you love and want the dog. "Free to good home" sounds like the easiest way to get a dog for elicit purposes.

I think everyone is making the whole thing to be too complex due to wanting facts and being annoyed by the way the message was attempting to be made.

Just mind your dog because sometimes people steal them!! That's all I wanted to get across. People here are saying you missed the point etc. etc. Well, let me say that I'm not looking for an argument, nor do I want to debate parts of an industry (if you would call it that) which I know little about.

I don't know what the story is with this sub-forum but the place is full of anal and angry people. I stopped asking questions here after giving it a second chance but now I predominantly ask questions on another site specific to my breed and everyone there is sound.

This would be a particular response I would get to my first post.

"Thank you for posting this. I happen to know that it is a small percentage of dogs that do actually get stolen for bait; nevertheless, dogs do get stolen! Be extra wary for your young ones, as people out there have bad intentions even though a small percentage of the robberies are not for bait"

ISDW

euser1984 wrote: »

I'd be inclined to tell people from now on that dogs can easily be stolen. Doesn't really matter whether there for bait, breeding, selling - the original owner is not going to know what kind of life the dog is going to have.

Even if it is used to breed for example, it could be under poor conditions. While boomerang, you may not have seen many cases of dogs likely to have inflicted wounds via baiting maybe that's because most of them are killed and dumped - it wouldn't been in the interest (of people involved in the scene) to have them arrive at your doorstep.

From my understanding there are lots and lots of greyhounds that just dissapear due to no regulation in the industry - how many do the shelters actually see?

Anyway, having said all the above there are always people with bad intentions, and no matter what your dog could be stolen for; it doesn't matter if you love and want the dog. "Free to good home" sounds like the easiest way to get a dog for elicit purposes.

I think everyone is making the whole thing to be too complex due to wanting facts and being annoyed by the way the message was attempting to be made.

Just mind your dog because sometimes people steal them!! That's all I wanted to get across. People here are saying you missed the point etc. etc. Well, let me say that I'm not looking for an argument, nor do I want to debate parts of an industry (if you would call it that) which I know little about.

I don't know what the story is with this sub-forum but the place is full of anal and angry people. I stopped asking questions here after giving it a second chance but now I predominantly ask questions on another site specific to my breed and everyone there is sound.

This would be a particular response I would get to my first post.

"Thank you for posting this. I happen to know that it is a small percentage of dogs that do actually get stolen for bait; nevertheless, dogs do get stolen! Be extra wary for your young ones, as people out there have bad intentions even though a small percentage of the robberies are not for bait"

So wanting facts, rather than fb hype is making something too complex? What I find interesting about that link is the rescue from who's page you've taken it, insisting that you should only give your dog to a rescue that does homechecks etc. Hmmmmmm.

OP, I'm intrigued as to how you know what someone else would say to you, as per your last paragraph, but I would suggest it would probably have a couple of 'huns' thrown in there, along with a few x maybe?

I can't see anywhere on this thread where anyone was anal or angry, merely intelligent, sensible people asking for proof that this happens, what is wrong with proof? What actually happens with overhyped tales is that people tend to stop believing anything that might possibly have a grain of truth in it, so it doesn't do any good, rather it causes harm. Oh, and don't forget the coloured stickers that get put on gateposts so that dog thieves know which house to hit. Now that little urban myth hasn't scared any dog owners and caused them un-needed worry at all.

euser1984

ISDW wrote: »

So wanting facts, rather than fb hype is making something too complex? What I find interesting about that link is the rescue from who's page you've taken it, insisting that you should only give your dog to a rescue that does homechecks etc. Hmmmmmm.

OP, I'm intrigued as to how you know what someone else would say to you, as per your last paragraph, but I would suggest it would probably have a couple of 'huns' thrown in there, along with a few x maybe?

I can't see anywhere on this thread where anyone was anal or angry, merely intelligent, sensible people asking for proof that this happens, what is wrong with proof? What actually happens with overhyped tales is that people tend to stop believing anything that might possibly have a grain of truth in it, so it doesn't do any good, rather it causes harm. Oh, and don't forget the coloured stickers that get put on gateposts so that dog thieves know which house to hit. Now that little urban myth hasn't scared any dog owners and caused them un-needed worry at all.

Just look after your dog man, that's all I'm saying - simple as that - doesn't matter how it's said because all that matters is the end result. Most people couldn't care less about the specifics and details, just like I couldn't care less about facial products for example. Tell me a good reason to stay away or use a particular product but making choices is already hard enough.

I suppose the wrong people replied to my post.

DBB

euser1984 wrote: »

I suppose the wrong people replied to my post.

But.... It's a discussion forum!
The people who replied to your post include some seriously experienced people, particularly from the worlds of welfare, and rescue. It is such a common response I see, that when a thread doesn't go as expected, the op starts blaming the contributors!
Fact is, a lot of people in rescue are embarrassed by these shrill, scaremongering articles, because it not only scares people off, it makes people think that everyone in rescue are nutters. You've said yourself that you haven't had dogs all that long , and perhaps this means you have a rather idealistic view of things, but don't confuse "aggression" and being "anal" with people who simply take a different view to you.