Stiffer jail sentences for dog-nappers

THE South-Eastern Hun-ters’ Association (SEHA) has called for hefty fines and stiffer prison sentences for persons who have been stealing hunting dogs.

SEHA president Mohan Bholasingh said the dogs, valued at over $5,000 per animal, were also reportedly dyed by thieves to avoid detection. “Dogs are also dyed to change their colour to avoid detection and to perpetrate the deceit,” Bholasingh said adding that members were now being advised to “tattoo” their animals for easy identification. “We have encouraged our membership to tattoo the words “SEHA,” using permanent ink on the ears of their dogs along with the owner’s telephone numbers, so that the animals could be properly identified if stolen or lost,” Bholasingh said, adding that since the season opened seven weeks ago, the association had lost 19 dogs to the dog-nappers.

Bholasingh said several dogs had been recovered using the tattoo method. However, he observed that the dog rustlers “pretend” to be hunters looking for dogs which had temporarily lost their way in the forest. “The thieves capture these dogs and transport them to other forested areas where they are sold for as little as $250,” he said. Apart from the $5,000 value of each dog, Bholasingh said, the theft of the animals left their owners worried over the welfare of the animal, since the dogs are beloved by their owners. “We are calling on the authorities to increase fines and impose heavy jail sentences for dog thieves,” Bholasingh thundered. He said members of the public were also being asked to provide information on stolen dogs and not to purchase the dogs if they believe the animals were stolen.