EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES

The Pet Theft Myth

Equal parts urban legend and animal activist propaganda, the “stolen pet myth” provides a hot-button issue guaranteed to provoke fear and loathing among those of us who love our pets. But like most myths, the hyperbole and hysteria eclipse the facts.

There is no evidence of widespread pet theft for medical research.

The vast majority of animals needed for research are specifically bred for this purpose.

Practically all animals needed for research are rodents – rats and mice. Cats and dogs together represent less than one-half of one per cent of all lab animals. And according to the most recent data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), which is required by law to keep detailed statistics, the number of dogs involved in research in 2002 was 68,253¹. The number of cats was 24,222. Many of these animals are bred specifically for research and were never pets. The remainder was acquired directly from the “death row” of pounds after efforts to locate their owners failed and euthanasia was the only remaining option, or they were purchased from USDA-licensed and regulated Class B dealers. There are fewer than 20 Class B dealers in the USA. In quarterly “trace back” audits of these dealers, the USDA found evidence of theft in only one case.

This is not to deny that many, many beloved pets go missing. Sadly, over seven million unclaimed dogs and cats are euthanized in animal shelters each year. ² And wildlife biologists estimate that over one million animals are killed each day by automobiles. ³

There are tough federal laws against stealing pets for research

Under the provisions of the Animal Welfare Act (AWA), it is a federal offense to "buy, sell, exhibit, use for research, transport or offer for transportation, any stolen animal" or to obtain live random source dogs and cats by using false pretenses, misrepresentation or deception.

Since the 1970s, the USDA has been responsible for inspecting all Class B dealers and their facilities to ensure that federal animal welfare and recordkeeping requirements are met. If dealers or facilities fail to comply with these tough standards, the USDA imposes strict financial penalties and can temporarily suspend or permanently revoke the licenses needed to continue doing business. The USDA also requires all dealers to certify that holding periods are observed and to maintain a thorough and very specific description and record for each animal, including details regarding the animal's source.

The USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) inspects Class B dealers four times per year, and research facilities at least once each year, for compliance with AWA regulations and standards. APHIS inspectors check the accuracy of records by comparing them with the records kept by other dealers in the same marketing chain. This recordkeeping system effectively discourages thieves from selling stolen pets through regular market channels.

Class B dealers are allowed to obtain animals from pounds, but the USDA requires that those animals be held at the pound for five days and on the dealers' premises for five or 10 days, depending on whether the pound was public or private. This means that the USDA-mandated holding requirements for these animals are 10 to 15 days. These holding periods ensure that owners searching for a lost pet will have time to find the animal, or that adoptive homes might be found for unwanted pets.

Many animal activists confirm that the “pet theft myth” is fiction

A leading animal-protection newspaper reported 1998 that it found no evidence of stolen pets being sold to research facilities. According to Merritt Clifton, editor of Animal People, the Animal Welfare Act appears to have virtually halted the sale of stolen animals for laboratories since taking effect in January 1992. Most of the pre-1994 cases identified by Animal People as theft for research purposes involved animal dealers who fraudulently obtained animals, and those dealers have since been prosecuted or otherwise put out of business by the USDA.

Clifton presents convincing evidence that illegal dog fighting is a far more likely explanation for reports of many missing pets. This is especially true in several states where animal welfare and law enforcement authorities have recently been inundated with complaints. Dog fighting, although a felony in 44 states continues in many parts of the country. It is believed that many stolen dogs are being routed to fighting enthusiasts, who use them to train or "bait" their more aggressive breeds, such as pit bulls.

According to Clifton, a rash of recent thefts took place along three specific interstate routes in Illinois, Indiana and Michigan, and in the South, where dog fighting rings are known to operate and where police have made a number of felony arrests. Chicago police have been especially active, infiltrating and busting these egregious operations.

Americans involved in rescue operations that re-unite lost pets with their families have complained bitterly about the scare tactics of animal activists who try to convince distraught owners that their beloved cat or dog was picked up by “men in white coats who drive a van through their neighborhood at night to steal pets and sell them for hideous experiments.”

As one rescuer recently wrote: “It’s basically an ‘urban myth’ used to scare people into donating time and money to AR groups, supposedly to protect their pets… Parts of my job as rescue, is to calm these people down, get them to stop crying, and give them some practical methods of locating their lost pet. It makes me furious that these people, who are already upset and heartbroken, are further terrorized by these sadistic animal rights activist that feed on other's emotions and hardship.”

Missing pets: What you can do

The Foundation for Biomedical Research recommends that all companion animals wear collars and identification tags at all times. Tags, implanted microchips and even tattoos can help to re-unite a lost cat or dog with its family. The Missing Pet Network, a group of volunteers sponsored by the USDA Animal Care Office, offers some valuable tips for finding a lost pet.