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Topic: DARTFORD TIMES STORY ON MOLLY ,SWANLEY (Read 317 times)
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mikka
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A MAN who believes his pet was snatched as part of a growing dog-knapping epidemic is fighting for tougher controls, writes Martin Sawden.
Tony Reynolds, 62, of Hotham Close, Swanley, has looked all over the district for his beloved Molly who went missing last month.
Mr Reynolds is convinced she was taken after running out of site in School Lane, near St Paul's Primary School.
Molly is the third Jack Russell cross thought to be taken from owners while out walking their dogs in the Swanley area in one week at the beginning of April.
Mr Reynolds contacted the Dartford and Swanley Times in a desperate plea for help.
He said: "Somebody must have scooped her in School Lane. Ten of us spent three hours looking for her, but nothing. Although she was young she knew her way home. I went out with my pointer dog who followed Molly's scent but the trail just stopped.
"I would do anything to get her back, she was such a lovely sweet dog."
A change in legislation means from April 6 this year police have handed control of missing and stolen dogs to councils and dog wardens.
Mr Reynolds said: "There is no shared register, centres where dogs end up do not share information so if your dog goes missing you have to inform every single police station, every unit, every centre.
"So many people's pets are going missing, it's crazy, where are these dog-knappers sending them, it's a really sad thing to happen to someone. We've lost a cherished member of the family.
"There is not one pub, vets or school where we haven't tried to ask if anyone has seen her. I've put up over a 1000 posters, I've asked within the traveller community. I have only had one call and that was to ask how much the reward was for."
Centres now only have to keep dogs for 48 hours before they face lethal injection, leaving owners little practical time to find their beloved pet.
Molly was micro-chipped but Mr Reynolds believes vets can do more in the fight against dog snatching by scanning pets as a matter of procedure.
He praised the effort being put in by Swanley-based voluntary group Alfie's Lost Dogs who try to reunite missing pets with their owners.
Co-owner Chris Page said: "Sadly the case of Molly is becoming part of one of the fastest growing crimes in the country. More often than not they taken for breeding and then dumped."
If you can help call 01795 535660.
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« Last Edit: May 08, 2008, 07:25:43 AM by mikka »
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