Hi everybody,

It has been quite some time since I have been on the forums, several months in fact, and I was still very new even then.

I am not likely to be around any longer, either.

A trajedy has happened - my American Bulldog stud, Cajun, was stolen. He went "missing" shortly after I left home after checking in one day ( I was house/dog sitting in town, came home every day ) He was officially reported as stolen to the local PD in early September.

I put up posters everywhere, all over town. Pet stores, feed stores, grocery stores, convenience stores, telephone poles, I put a flier in the paper, I put ads in the paper, I put ads online. Every single one of my fliers was TAKEN DOWN within 5 days of putting them up - all suddenly disappeared over night. He has not been taken to any vet within 30 miles of where I live. I posted a reward and had zero takers, I upped the reward, still nothing.

I am heart broken. I do not know what to do and do not believe at this point that I will ever get him back. I know that if I do get him back, he is not likely to be the same dog. I don't know if any of you have any further suggestions as to a way I can find him, I would appreciate it.

I would like another dog, had been planning on purchasing a pup early next year even when I still had Cajun, but I am unsure where to go at this point. I am considering another American Bulldog but I am still having trouble finding kennels that have and that produce dogs of the type and quality that I am looking for. Cajun's breeder is no longer breeding.

I have been considering a Doberman, as I have experience with Dobes and have always, always loved Doberdogs. I currently have a Dobe/Shep pup that I am training for my brother. I want a working dog, a conformationally correct stable dog for Schutzhund/IPO etc. I have a few kennels in mind but was wondering if any of you have suggestions of where to look?

I am considering Cara Dobermans at the top of my little list. I will not be looking for a pup until late winter/spring/early summer next year.

I have a very heavy workload these days I do not get online much. If you could please E-MAIL me, I would appreciate it as I Have access to my e-mail while at work.

TheAnimalTrainer86@hotmail.com

Thanks everybody.

Jenn M.

dear Jenn: So sorry to here about your dog being stolen. That is truly heart breaking!
sharon empson

I'm so sorry about Cajun

Richard Pryor's dog, Ruy, went missing and he was given lots of good advice here:

http://www.leerburg.com/forums/ubbthreads.php/ubb/showflat/Number/142362/page/0/fpart/1

I hope this helps and I hope you find him.

Jennifer,

I can't offer you any advice on a NEW dog, but I just wanted to let you know how very sorry I am to hear about the dissappearance of Cajun - how utterly sad. It sounds like you've been busy the last month getting the word out, checking vets, offering rewards... I can't think of much else you could do... Do you think he was stolen from inside your house? Or did he get loose and THEN was perhaps picked up by someone? Do you know anyone who's always had their eyes on him and could have just seen an opportunity to snatch him away?

The thought of people stealing dogs - for whatEVER creepy reason - is just nightmarish, and it gives me the chills. If he is indeed "stolen" (and not just lost somewhere), I'm sure whomever got their hands on such a handsome intact male bulldog thought they had surely hit the jackpot and they're probably keeping him well hidden. I'm so very, very sorry....

My best wishes in perhaps still finding him, and if he doesn't resurface, have fun researching and seeking out your next amazing pup.

~Natalya

Natalya - He is not loose, unfortunately I would have found him if he was, I drove every inch of this city yelling and with the dog whistle (he is trained to Here/Come upon hearing short-long-short) for 3 days after he went "missing."

Many people in the area had their eyes on him. His "disappearance" was 4 days after we had all the locks replaced on our gates because someone cut the lock to the back corner gate of the property. We have almost an acre, entirely fenced, within city limits. All 6 foot chain link fence with barbed wire that ads another foot to the top and angles out. Cajun was being kept primarily outdoors while I was gone, and was in the yard with the the old spayed female Rottweiler during the night. The dogs had been causing a racket at the back fence and we went out to find the masterlock had been cut and the corner of the gate was actually bent outwards, looked like it had been pryed at.

Unfortunately Cajun was a very well known dog, he went everywhere with me. Hiking, camping, fishing, we went on long walks, visited friends, etc.

I cannot prove that he was stolen, nobody saw someone take him. Local PD did tell me, however, that regardless of if he jumped a fence and went wandering around, if someone picked him up and has been keeping him, it is still considered theft. They are keeping something that does not belong to them, a dog is considered personal property and his proveable value was $2,500.00, which makes his theft a felony in the state of Oregon.

I wanted to believe he had just decided to jump the 7' fenceline and go have at some tastey smelling female. It is still possible that is indeed what happened, but recent problems with our gate locks makes me think otherwise. Cajun is a dog that looks very appealing to certain people, to someone that doesn't know Ambulls he looks like a really big super beefy APBT - he was 24" and around 95# with a 24" head.

It has been over two months now.

Hi
This is absolutely horrible. I remember when my male Boxer was intact- he is quite well muscled, and well put together, that many people would remark how nice he was- and these weren't the type I wanted anywhere near my dog. I will say, when it came time to neuter him, that this did factor in.

Here is something to try- put an ad out for a stud needed. Have someone else be the contact, but put up that you have a bitch ready for breeding, and you need a stud- mention the breed, cash you will pay etc.

If he is intact, this may be a way to flush the people out. Make sure the ad will be seen anywhere these low lifes may be- grocery stores, put an ad in the local pet store- think like a dirt bag with a dog, and put ads where you think they will be. Put a picture up of the bitch you want to breed. Talk about how strong the bitch is, how much game, etc. You may just be able to lure the dirt bags out of hiding for some cashola.

Very sorry to hear this. I would've put up more fliers after they were taken down. My dog was lost in a park and I put up fliers on the trees. This was against park rules since it hurts trees or something. Well, I went back and put up some more. Not sure if the person who stole him was stupid enough to take down the fliers himself. Sounds more like the police or someone similar did this.

 Quote:

I put up posters everywhere, all over town. Pet stores, feed stores, grocery stores, convenience stores, telephone poles, I put a flier in the paper, I put ads in the paper, I put ads online. Every single one of my fliers was TAKEN DOWN within 5 days of putting them up - all suddenly disappeared over night. He has not been taken to any vet within 30 miles of where I live. I posted a reward and had zero takers, I upped the reward, still nothing.

Sounds like you did everything you could. Maybe you should check out the thread Sarah mentioned. I was given great advice and luckily my dog ended up in good hands. I know exactly how you feel. I got depressed, desperate, frustrated... and he was lost for only a couple of days.

I, along with others here are so sorry to hear about you having to go thru this with your dog Cajun.

I am just going to add...recently, in my area, there was a therapy dog who went missing (the owner was in surgery, dog was with her parents).

Long story short, the owner hired a pet detective (no, not Jim Carey). They found the dog very quickly. Don't know if you have any in your area, but might be worth checking into...???

I don't know exactly how they work, but I say this only because you HAVe already done everything else (although the suggestion about placing an ad about a stud dog is a good one too!!!).

Julie - I absolutely had not thought of that! Part of my fear is that he wound up with someone that had him neutered :-/ I hadn't thought for some reason they'd try to use him for his moneymakers.

He was being kept as a stud prospect, I had planned on showing him next year, had just gotten all the paperwork to quadruple register him, I was going to go for his WST and BST and then some obedience titles and his TDI. He was stolen just before his 2nd birthday, and I had a vet appointment in mid September to have his hips, eyes, elbows, heart, etc all checked out prior to showing. I would have neutered him otherwise.

He was my baby. I miss him so very much, he was the first dog I had trained primarily on my own as a PPD. I had chosen him because his pedigree was full of good working dogs and being an AB he was a good dog to learn with for starting out.

Richard - Before this, I had not been away from him for more than 6 days, and I had called the friend who was caring for him every day and she even put him on a webcam for me. Pathetic, I know! :-D

I probably should have put out another batch of posters, but I didn't have the money for another 2000 color posters at that point, after I had spent so much on newspaper ads. I admit I just became too depressed about it for a while. I did post more posters when I put a reward out for him, and those were up longer, but were also taken down within 2 weeks and I had no takers. I put out more newspaper ads, upping the reward, and nothing.

I also contacted a local breed club, I forgot to mention that. I contacted them and sent the president of the club pictures and talked with her on the phone and she had everybody keeping an eye out for a red AB male all across Southern Oregon. Still nothing.

Michele - I already looked into private investigators, and there are no pet detectives in my area Nobody handles lost dogs. Thanks for the suggestion though.

Actually, Jen, there are national organizations, that do cost a bit of money, but they direct mail postcards to everyone w/in a certain mile radius w/his info and photo. SOMEONE has seen him. Do you have a local TV station that you have an "in" with? Radio? I would be totally losing my mind. I like the idea of asking around for a stud...dog thieves generally aren't terribly bright, and they might just fall for it! Is he permanently identifiable to you? Microchip? Tattoo?