Theft of Pomeranians part of a disturbing trend

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By Brent Mazerolle
Times & Transcript Staff

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There's still no sign of a pair of eight-week old Pomeranian puppies stolen from a Moncton pet store Tuesday afternoon.

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This is one of the two Pomeranian puppies stolen from Brenda's Bowtique on Tuesday afternoon.

As of late yesterday, neither the Codiac Regional RCMP nor Brenda Wadup of Brenda's Bowtique had gotten any news on the fates of the tiny dogs.

And sadly, it seems these two puppies are far from the only defenseless animals falling into the wrong hands in recent times. In April, the American Kennel Club raised the alarm on a disturbing new trend it had noted in the first months of 2008.

The AKC said it had heard of three times as many dog thefts in the first three months of 2008 as it had been made aware of in all of 2007.

"The value of pets in people's lives has been on the rise for a long time and now we are seeing thieves trying to capitalize on this," the American Kennel Club's Lisa Peterson said in April. "Whether they seek to resell the dog, collect a ransom or breed the dogs and sell their offspring, thieves seem to be attuned to the increased financial and emotional value pets have in our lives."

Reached at her New York office yesterday, Kennel Club spokeswoman Daisy Okas was not surprised to hear Moncton thieves have targeted Pomeranians.

Okas said it's a matter both or the monetary worth of the breed and its size. "You can stuff a Pomeranian in your windbreaker. It's not so easy with a Labrador retriever."

Okas said she was worried anyone who would think to steal an animal would hardly be a caring conscientious owner.

It's a concern her colleague Peterson shares.

"These 'dog-nappers' are misguided and naïve. They're stealing living beings, not jewelry that can be pawned. Plus, it's unlikely that they can sell the dogs for high prices without proper registration papers, and these inept criminals are not realistically going to collect a ransom. Caring for a dog is a time-consuming endeavour that requires a lot of knowledge. Thieves will find themselves with a frightened and confused animal that needs a lot of care."

Last week, an Illinois court sent a man to jail for 60 days for stealing a Pomeranian and then blowing marijuana smoke in the puppy's face until it passed out.

There's a possibility the couple behind Tuesday's dog-napping may have visited another Mountain Road pet store earlier in the afternoon. Staff at Pets Unlimited in the Northwest Centre believe a teenaged girl with a male companion in their store Tuesday afternoon matched the descriptions of those who ran out of Brenda's Bowtique with the two puppies just after 3 p.m. the same day.

The couple at Pets Unlimited was not in the store long, and if they were the same people behind the theft down the street, it may be because of the different pens at each store.

At Pets Unlimited, the puppies live in climate controlled pens behind glass and can only be accessed through padlocked doors inside a locked area for employees only.

The relatively recent change to their display pens likely accounts for why that store has not had puppy stolen since a bulldog was swiped about three years ago.

At Brenda's Bowtique, puppies are still in pens on the floor with high walls but an open roof. It gives customers a good opportunity to interact with the puppies, but also makes the dogs easier to snatch.

Codiac RCMP spokesman Corporal Mike Gaudet said yesterday it's impossible to know what motive would be behind the theft. Asked if it was likely drug-related, the veteran police officer responded, "what kind of theft isn't drug related?"

He did however suggest the chance to get a coveted animal without paying a price tag approaching $1,000 might be motive enough, especially for a young female thief.

Pomeranians, like other so-called "purse dogs" are certainly trendy, part pet, part fashion accessory for many young women.

Paris Hilton has three Pomeranians. Nicole Richie and tennis star Maria Sharapova also have them. Singers Rihanna and Hilary Duff both have Pomeranians.

Brenda's Bowtique has none.

At least until someone steps forward with information, or those who took the store's puppies decide to do the right thing.

n Anyone with any information about the incident should call the Codiac Regional RCMP at (506) 857-2400 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222- TIPS(8477).