My dog has been stolen, what should I do?

1. 1

   Report it to the police

   Theft of an animal is theft. File a report and note the case number; you will need it later if the animal is found. Take or send the microchip number, the passport and the registration certificate.

2. 2

   Set the animal to stolen, not missing

   In your account you choose the status stolen. That is a different signal from missing: anyone reading the microchip sees that a police report has been filed, and that changes what a vet or shelter does.

3. 3

   Check that your details are correct

   Your phone number is the only thing a finder or a vet gets to see. If it is out of date, update it right away; otherwise the trail goes dead the moment someone reads the microchip.

4. 4

   Watch the advertisements

   Stolen animals are often offered for sale within days. Check the well-known trading sites and Facebook groups, and look out for adverts without papers, with a vague location, or with a price that is too low.

5. 5

   Alert the area and the profession

   Also simply report the animal with us, so it appears on the list and the map and the alerts go out. Vets, shelters and participating chip readers scan microchips and are the place where a stolen animal often does surface.

Why stolen differs from missing

An animal that ran off you search for nearby. A stolen animal has often already been moved, sometimes a long way, and ends up with a vet or a buyer sooner than in a shelter.

So the approach differs: less searching in the street, more reporting to the police, more attention to trade, and making sure the microchip tells the story the moment someone reads it.

What the microchip does for you in a theft

The microchip number is the only objective proof the animal is yours. A buyer who has the number read sees that it is in your name, and that is usually the moment a stolen animal comes back.

So always point buyers to our buyer check: there someone verifies before purchase whether the microchip number is in the seller name. The more people do that, the less there is to trade.

Frequently asked questions

Can I report the theft of an animal?

Yes. An animal is legally property, and taking it is theft. Ask for a case number and keep it.

What is the difference between reporting missing and stolen?

With stolen, whoever reads the microchip sees that a police report has been filed. That changes what a vet or shelter does, and it is also a signal to a possible buyer. If you are unsure, report missing; you can change it later.

The buyer will not return the animal, what now?

The microchip number and the registration certificate show who the owner is. Contact the police and refer to your report. Even a buyer in good faith does not acquire ownership if the animal was stolen.

Does a tracker help against theft?

A tracker can help as long as it stays on and has signal, but a collar comes off easily. The microchip sits under the skin and stays; that is the durable proof.

My cat has been stolen, does this apply too?

Yes. The steps are the same, also for a cat or another animal. Only the chance that a cat was stolen rather than wandered off is smaller; search nearby first.

Report your animal now

Reporting is free and puts your animal on the list, on the map and in the alerts. Also file a police report.

Report the animal