{"id":2863,"date":"2015-01-19T17:28:13","date_gmt":"2015-01-19T17:28:13","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/staging-live.lbpost.com\/articles\/life\/pets\/lesson-learned-help-protect-your-pet-from-theft-2\/"},"modified":"2015-01-19T17:28:13","modified_gmt":"2015-01-19T17:28:13","slug":"lesson-learned-help-protect-your-pet-from-theft-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/staging-live.lbpost.com\/hi-lo\/pets\/lesson-learned-help-protect-your-pet-from-theft-2","title":{"rendered":"Lesson Learned? Help Protect Your Pet from Theft."},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Before I write anything else, please note that someone is desperately crying for her stolen dog, and I desperately hope that she gets her back.<\/p>\n

On January 15, a car with the family dog inside was stolen from the parking lot of a North Long Beach shopping center on Cherry Avenue and 68th<\/sup> Street. Jody Thompson had run into the Target to grab a prescription for her daughter\u2019s medical conditions. Thompson was inside for only four minutes, but it was long enough for a truck to drive up beside the Thompsons\u2019 Nissan Maxima and a passenger to get out and make off with the car.<\/p>\n

\"Sandy\"<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Sandy<\/em><\/p>\n

The car was recovered that evening, but the dog, a tan Chihuahua mix named Sandy, wasn\u2019t in it, and she hasn\u2019t been found as of this writing. There\u2019s no explanation for how the car was made off with so quickly, but one comment on the Long Beach Post<\/i> article<\/a> made reference to the lack of ID on Sandy and another asked whether the car was left unlocked and running.<\/p>\n

Long Beach Animal Care Services<\/a> (ACS) is on watch for Sandy. According to ACS, Sandy was not microchipped and there\u2019s no indication whether she was licensed, as the Thompsons live in an area outside ACS\u2019s jurisdiction. The situation adds up to the perfect storm for dog theft.<\/p>\n

And therein hangs the tale\u2014a cautionary one, and I hope they find the dog who belongs with it. Several animal-advocacy institutions, including Last Chance for Animals<\/a> and Petfinder.com<\/a>, report approximately two million pets stolen each year from yards, cars, burglaries and other places. The Thompsons may have made it easy for Sandy\u2019s theft, but had the dog worn an ID or had a microchip, the chances of her returning home would have been greater.<\/p>\n

In Long Beach, cats and dogs must be licensed. There are a number of reasons for licensing a pet<\/a>, and the relative ease of getting him or her back to the owner is one of them. And microchipping is, as far as I\u2019m concerned, a must. When a pet is turned in to ACS, the first thing that they do is scan it for a microchip to see whom it belongs to. Most vets and many rescues are similarly equipped with scanners. Petfinder.com cites a study published in the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association<\/i><\/a> that <\/i>gives a return-to-owner rate for microchipped pets as over 52 percent for dogs and 38 percent for cats. Considering that only 22 percent of lost or stolen pets are reunited with their humans, those are pretty good odds<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Your vet can equip your cat or dog with a microchip. Anyone with financial hardship can get one at a reduced price from ACS (see the schedule here<\/a> or under Pet Projects) or free at any Fix Long Beach event (visit their Facebook page<\/a> for the schedule). If you live outside ACS\u2019s jurisdiction in L.A. County (Long Beach, Signal Hill. Seal Beach, Los Alamitos and Cerritos), click here<\/a>. If you know of any other microchip programs in the area, please post them.<\/p>\n

No matter how much responsibility the Thompsons may have had Sandy\u2019s theft, they don\u2019t deserve this grief. That was a horrible way to learn a lesson. I hope that the Thompsons read this and use the information for any pets they may have. If your own pet hasn\u2019t been licensed or microchipped, please make it happen\u2014it\u2019s no guarantee, but you want as many odds in your favor as possible.<\/p>\n

And remember, the Thompsons want nothing more than to have Sandy back, and I can imagine that if Sandy’s roaming the streets and more or less uninjured, that poor girl has no idea of what’s going on and wants her people as badly as a good dog can. This video from KTLA<\/a> has a good video of that truck, and Sandy\u2019s photo is above. Best of luck to all three of them.<\/p>\n

“A dog is the only thing on earth that loves you more than he loves himself.”
<\/i>~<\/i> Josh Billings<\/i>, American humorist<\/i><\/p>\n

Virtually Pets<\/h3>\n

We’re featuring two residents of ACS today. To see more, visit this gallery<\/a>, or better yet, take a trip down yourself. The shelter shares a location with spcaLA<\/a> at 7700 E. Spring St. Look for the Animal Care Services entrance.<\/p>\n

\"Tupac\"<\/strong><\/p>\n

Tupac<\/strong> is a gorgeous, goofy American Staffie puppy who is quite playful. He will need training but seems responsive to it. He was an owner surrender because they were moving. He does not seem to react to other dogs. He is just a pup, already neutered and ready to go! Ask for ID#A526961.<\/p>\n

\"Sebastian\"<\/p>\n

Oy, that face! Can you resist it? We have trouble! Sebastian<\/strong> is a 7-year-old neutered male tabby who was found as a skinny, bony stray. Thanks to the care he\u2019s received at ACS, he\u2019s filled out quite nicely and his true personality is beginning to shine through. He has the most expressive face, is very affectionate and friendly, and likes to be held. Ask for ID#A538817.<\/p>\n

Kibble<\/h3>\n

Major pet-specialty retailer Petco rang in the year by pulling from its brick-and-mortar and online stores all cat and dog treats made in China. By March, 2015, PetSmart will no longer sell dog and cat treats manufactured in China.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is something that we\u2019ve been working on for some time and feel that it\u2019s the right thing to do for our pets and customers,\u201d said Erin Gray, spokeswoman for PetSmart. Gray clarified that there is no recall in place; like Petco, PetSmart will no longer stock treats from China.<\/p>\n

Locally, Centinela has not removed any of the items made in China from their shelves and has expanded its U.S.-made selection http:\/\/www.centinelafeed.com\/products\/product-news\/<\/a>. Neither Pussy and Pooch<\/a> nor LaunderPet<\/a> carries items made in China.<\/p>\n

\"Belmont\"<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

All the treats in the Belmont LaunderPet store are good and good for your pet. Probably you, too.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cThe past few years have brought headlines of tens of thousands of American pets becoming ill after eating Chinese-produced pet food, and over 1,000 pets have actually died after consuming these contaminated treats,\u201d read a press release from the American Veterinary Medical Association<\/a> (AVMA).<\/p>\n

A U.S. Food and Drug Administration investigation is ongoing\u2014the results are as yet inconclusive (read the AVMA\u2019s report here<\/a>). AVMA says that \u201cthe safest bet is to purchase domestically produced pet food and treats. Your vet will be able to give you safe and appropriate recommendations for your pet\u2019s diet.\u201d If your pet shows signs of unexplained and continuous vomiting, decreased appetite and movement, increased urination, and water consumption. Some of the more severe symptoms have led to the diagnoses of kidney failure, gastrointestinal bleeding, and pancreatitis.<\/p>\n

Pet Projects<\/h3>\n

Friends of Long Beach Animals Humane Education Program, Free, Ongoing<\/strong><\/p>\n

Friends of Long Beach Animals<\/a> (FOLBA) stands by its word when it says it actively supports teaching children kindness to and respect for animals. FOLBA has provided several copies of humane books to all of the libraries in the Long Beach Unified School District, all the Public Libraries in Long Beach and Signal Hill, as well as to Raising-a-Reader and to Mary Bethune Transitional Center (assisting homeless children who need reading improvement so they can attend regular LBUSD classes). This interactive humane education program is free to all schools in the Long Beach Unified School District, Girl and Boy Scout Troops, Long Beach Parks and Libraries and Community Groups. Basic elements of the program are as follows:<\/p>\n