Small breeds and pups are the most common dog theft victims.  photo by Doghouse Studios.

Dognapping is on the rise, says American Kennel Club spokesperson Lisa Peterson, who tracks dog news around the country. In the first five months of 2008, the AKC reported three times as many dog thefts as the year before and the trend has continued into this year.

Why? Because dogs (and sometimes cats) now have street value. A well-bred puppy can fetch thousands of dollars when sold online or in newspapers. And people are more than willing to buy an adorable purebred from a questionable source for $1,500 when a legitimate breeder would have charged $3,000. The buyer won't get any papers with the dog, but it's such a bargain they don't care.  Also, since people see their dogs as family members, they are often willing to pay big "rewards" -- ransom, really -- for the return of their beloved pet.

Toy breeds, puppies, and purebred dogs that look expensive or unusual are most vulnerable, says Peterson. Among the stolen breeds tracked by the AKC in 2008 are Yorkshire terriers, poodles, Pomeranians, shih tzu, bulldogs, corgis, a Norwich terrier and a mastiff.

Thieves will sometimes walk off with dogs from pet stores or shelters. The Boulder Valley Humane Society had several puppies stolen this way last year. Others will take dogs who have been left tied in front of a store or in a parked car while their human runs inside for a quick errand. Some thieves have even pretended to be a prospective buyer, gone to a breeder's home and nabbed the puppies.

Two armed men forced their way into a Los Angeles home last year, ordered the family of four to lay on the floor and stole four Yorkshire terriers puppies and one adult dog. The puppies, valued at $2,500, had been advertised in a newspaper and the men initially posed as buyers. A little more than a week later one of the suspects later turned himself in and four of the dogs were reunited with their family while one puppy remained missing.  It's so Cruela DeVille you think it can't possibly happen, but increasingly, it does.

Here are some suggestions for protecting your dog from theft:

• Don’t leave your dog alone in your yard for long periods, especially if it’s visible from the street.
• If strangers approach you with admiring comments about your dog, don’t share information about his cost or where you live.
• Report a theft to police and animal control as soon as it happens.
• Keep a current photo of your pet so you can make flyers or posters immediately and post the photo on Web sites.
• If possible, hold back some kind of descriptive information about your pet so you can sort out crank calls from serious ones.
• Microchip your dogs and cats, and keep microchip registration information up to date so shelters and veterinarians can contact you if your pet is found. A microchip also serves as proof that an animal belongs to you.
• A tattoo on the inner thigh is a permanent way of identifying your dog if the tattoo is registered with a tracking organization such as National Dog Registry.
• Consider GPS for your pet. New GPS collars allow owners to set up a safety zone. If the pet strays beyond it, an alert goes out e-mail and text message. The collars have potential for tracking missing dogs, but they’re expensive at $129.99 and up, and they can be removed by someone who finds the dog and decides to keep it.
• Don't leave your dog unattended in public. According to police, most dog thefts are crimes of opportunity. The thief didn't set out steal a dog but then the dog is there, no one is watching and they just nab him and go.

What to do if your dog is stolen:
 

• Report the theft to animal control and the police as soon as possible. Tell the police the value of the dog - in most states the value of the dog determines whether the theft is a misdemeanor or a felony.
• Make flyers or posters and blanket the area. Be sure to include all local animal shelters, veterinarians' offices, pet stores and groomers.
• Online, post your information with every message board, Meetup group and breed club that pertains to your dog's breed. Also use missing pet sites like Dog Detective and K9 Amber Alert.
• Alert as many local dogwalkers as possible. Check to see If your town has a Dogwalkers Association, you may be able to reach all of them at once that way. Dogwalkers are a virtual army of eyes and ears patrolling the streets every day and they will gladly report sighting a missing dog.
• Search all the places dogs might be sold such as flea markets or online classifieds. One family found their dog listed on Craigslist, even though Craigslist bans the sale of pets (except for a small adoption fee, not usually worth the trouble for thieves).