Dog gone

By Heather Killen

The Spectator

NovaNewsNow.com

A local dog owner is warning people to keep their purebred animals on a very tight leash.

Molly, a two year-old Burmese Mountain dog, went missing from her Margaretsville home on April 5. While dogs often wander off, Molly’s owners believe she was purposely taken.

Wenda McLaughlin, Molly’s owner, said she is afraid that her beloved dog was stolen for use as a breeding dog in a puppy mill.

Purebred Burmese Mountain dogs like Molly are worth about $1500, and un-papered dogs are sold for as much as $800. McLaughlin added the way Molly disappeared is very suspicious and suggests that someone had been watching the family for some time.

Molly and two other dogs are put outside every morning at the same time. McLaughlin and her husband usually do a few quick chores before they let the dogs back in for breakfast.

That Saturday, the dogs were put out as usual for their morning routine. Twenty minutes later, only Molly was missing.

“She couldn’t have just gotten loose, all three dogs would have been gone,” she said. “She must have been taken and whoever did it had been watching us and knew our routine.”

McLaughlin added that when she was loose, Molly never left the property. Several neighbours have since reported seeing a suspicious car in the area during the previous three days, just before the dog went missing.

Also during that same weekend, McLaughlin heard that several purebred dogs disappeared in Annapolis and Digby counties.

In the past, these puppy mills have operated out of Digby County, and have shipped animals all over the Atlantic Provinces.

“We’re on the edge now, afraid for our other two dogs,” she said. If puppy mill owners did steal Molly, her remaining days will likely be spent in a filthy cage.

“It’s sickening, but that’s how some people make their living,” she said. “If the price for the dog looks too good to be true, it is. These dogs haven’t been vet-checked.”

McLaughlin added that she doesn’t think that Molly could survive very long, cooped up in a crate. The last time she was separated from the other two dogs, she refused to eat.

Puppy Mill breeders often advertise on the Internet, and offer purebred animals at reduced rates. They never allow people to see the kennels. Meetings are set up offsite, and the animals they bring may smell dirty and of urine.

Molly is a big, friendly dog with typical Burmese markings. She has a black body with brown markings running down her legs. There’s a large white patch on her chest and running down her face, between her eyes and around her nose.

McLaughlin said the family is offering a $1000 reward to anyone who can help them recover Molly. Anyone with information is asked to contact her at 825-4067, or 765-1847.