Service dog stolen from Chicago yard

That's so wrong. The dog is her "medical aid". Really shame on the dog theft.
 
Yeah, it's a shame, but I doubt they knew it was a service dog. It had no identification on it showing it's a service dog and so man people still think that all service dogs are labs or GSDs.
 
I've read about other service dogs who've been stolen. We had that happen to a local family, whose service dog was for their child. It's really sad that people do such things.

I hate to say it but looking at the photo of the dog, I suspect the dog was stolen to be used in dog fighting. :(
 
Reba said:
I've read about other service dogs who've been stolen. We had that happen to a local family, whose service dog was for their child. It's really sad that people do such things.

I hate to say it but looking at the photo of the dog, I suspect the dog was stolen to be used in dog fighting. :(
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That was my thought as well.
 
Am I the only one who does not let my dog out in the yard without watching them? Even when I had a fenced yard and I let the dogs out, I would watch them from a window and as soon as they've completed business I have them back inside. If I'm going to let them run and play, I'll be sitting on a chair outside with them no matter what the weather.

I also always say I can't wait to get a dog door with a fenced yard and use it but truthfully, I don't know that I'd ever feel confident enough to let my dogs use it unsupervised.
 
Eater of Worlds said:
Am I the only one who does not let my dog out in the yard without watching them? Even when I had a fenced yard and I let the dogs out, I would watch them from a window and as soon as they've completed business I have them back inside. If I'm going to let them run and play, I'll be sitting on a chair outside with them no matter what the weather.

I also always say I can't wait to get a dog door with a fenced yard and use it but truthfully, I don't know that I'd ever feel confident enough to let my dogs use it unsupervised.
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We used to let our Labs out back on their own but we also have a six-foot privacy fence with padlocked gates. They had a doggy door that opened into our garage so they could come in any time. They liked hanging out in yard, chasing squirrels, sleeping in the shade, digging up moles, chomping snakes, playing Frisbee and ball retrieval, pouncing on each other, etc.

Whenever we were in the front yard with them or on a walk, they were on leashes.

They each died of old age.
 
I don't understand. Why would someone steal a dog? To get around the vet costs? To get ransom for the dog? It makes no sense. If they were going fence a stolen dog, they still have to feed it before someone takes it. The cost would be higher than for someone to just go to a shelter.
 
VacationGuy234 said:
I don't understand. Why would someone steal a dog? To get around the vet costs? To get ransom for the dog? It makes no sense. If they were going fence a stolen dog, they still have to feed it before someone takes it. The cost would be higher than for someone to just go to a shelter.
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Really? Like Reba said that dog could had been stolen to use a' bait' dog , the poor dog is used to start a fight between to pit-bull. Or the dog could had been sold to a lab for a few $$$. The cops warns people around here at one time to not leave their dogs in the car or outside a lone b/c people dogs where getting stolen to sell to labs. :(
 
What has the world come to? People stealing dogs and cops killing dogs? People have become dehumanized.
 
yeah, that's very true, Reba and WDYS!

In the are where we used to live, one year we had a problem of dogs getting stolen from yards during the day, there were signs posted at the local pet supply shop <where I now work> and my neighbor behind us also warned us about someone he knew whose dog was taken...some people had more than one dog taken, if multiple dogs were out there.

Especially where we used to live <much more "close quarters" -older urban neighborhood- and also lots of kids> - and still now - when my dogs were outside in the fenced yard, I was out there with them. We also had people trespass through the yard and one day we had cops all over in the "behind-us" <same as in above paragraph> neighbor's yard, when they chased someone who apparently tried to "lose" the coke he was carrying - in said neighbor's yard. Said neighbor who had multiple dogs at that time.
And we had another neighbor who told us outright he hated dogs and one day I found a candy bar in the yard. So all those things were additional factors why we were always out there with the dogs.

and because of breed bias, we have to be more careful with our dogs - what is tolerated or "cute" in a Lab or a Boston Terrier, is not gonna be allowed with mine.
 
Eater of Worlds said:
That's kind of weird. You don't leave a 2 year old alone, so I'm not sure why you'd need a dog to call 911. And who are they paying the 25k to? A private trainer won't cost that much, and donating it won't get them a dog any sooner if the place has a waiting list.
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Well, anything can happen during sleeptime. It's great if a dog can call 911 via special device. The article mentioned that a service dog is worth $25k. I have no idea if it's a fact or not. However,
These highly trained dogs cost about $25,000.
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Those service dogs have to be trained 24/7, I believe. Know why? Anything can happen 24/7. I guess that's why it's very expensive.
Let me check Wiki.

Program-trained dogs vs. owner-trained dogs

A growing number of people choose to train their own service dogs. This can be because existing programs do not answer their needs (for example, a dog that can help someone in a wheelchair who is also hard of hearing). It can also be because the disabled person wants to experience the dog's puppyhood, or because he or she already has a pet dog when the need for a service dog arises. This is permitted in some countries, such as the U.S., but not in all countries. Handlers with experience training advanced dogs may choose to train the dogs themselves, while others may employ a professional trainer or organization that accepts an owner's existing dog.
Program-trained dogs are matched with their future handler near the end of the training process. By this point, it is nearly certain the candidate dog will complete training and will become a service dog. Owner-trainers often start working with their puppies while they are very young, too young to be thoroughly evaluated. Owner-trainers whose puppies fail to measure up must deal with the emotional conflict of whether to re-home the dog or keep him as a pet.
Because most programs now breed their own puppies and raise them according to very carefully researched and planned guidelines, their success rates are relatively high. Owner-trainers, lacking the experience of the program trainers and not being able to manipulate the genetics or early neurological stimulation of the puppies, generally experience a lower success rate. However, getting a dog from a reputable breeder who breeds for temperament and soundness, performs early neurological stimulation on their puppies, and properly socializes the puppies before they go to their new owners can significantly improve the chance of success. Very few dogs in shelters will make it as service dogs due to behavior issues and lack of socialization.
However, for a person with the skill to train their own service dog, this option can make dogs of specific breeds available that would not be available through a program, and allows for greater customization of training. For a handler used to a certain set of command words, needs a cross-disability dog, or has sensory sensitivities to certain coat types, this can be a very useful option.
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I'm not debating that it costs that much to train the dog. The trainer has to eat, after all. Most organizations that provide the dogs do not charge the owners 25k. I've never heard anyone paying 25k to get a service dog from an organization. Buying your own dog and paying a trainer to work with you won't cost that much (because individual dog trainers work with many dogs and owners and charge them all).
 
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