Dog owners in Alberta, Canada, are on high alert following the alarming increase in dog theft cases across the province. In response, a newly formed advocacy group is calling for the enforcement of stiffer animal protection laws to help curb the growing crisis.
Dozens of alleged dog thefts have occurred in Alberta in recent months
According to the Alberta Abducted Dogs Welfare Association (AADWA) — a new advocacy group majorly focused on tracking the number of missing dogs in Alberta — about 52 dogs have been stolen across the province since Nov. 2023. Through their investigations, the AADWA discovered that a majority of the stolen dogs were large, rural dogs.
AADWA is made up of dog owners who’ve lost their pets to thieves, dog rescuers, and ex-police officers.
While speaking to CTV News, Aynsley Foss, an AADWA board member, recalled how her dog disappeared, never to be seen again. Foss told the news outlet her Maremma livestock guardian dog went missing in November of last year. “She was kind of stolen right under my nose as I was doing farm chores,” she explained.
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) can’t confirm whether dog thefts in Alberta are indeed higher now than ever. This is because they don’t normally track dog theft cases separately from other theft cases.
There are no reported puppy mills or dog fighting rings in Southern Alberta, said a spokesperson for Alberta RCMP. For this reason, the RCMP can’t quite pinpoint the driving force behind the increasing dog thefts.
Nonetheless, the AADWA wants the government to implement tougher laws that will deter dog thieves. Under current Canadian law, only theft cases involving $5,000-plus valuables are considered worthy of harsher penalties and longer prison sentences. Unfortunately, the law classifies dog theft as “under $5,000 theft.”
“People need to be held accountable when they are stealing someone’s animal because it is a lot different than stealing a couch or a TV. You’re stealing a piece of someone’s family, “Erin Deems, an AADWA member, stated.
