Breeder lifts lid on stolen dogs’ trade

A LEADING figure in the greyhound industry says he has uncovered a huge trade in stolen pet dogs in Limerick.

John Harnett, breeder and owner of racing greyhounds, claims he has found a massive organised criminal operation involving the stealing of pet dogs, particularly Jack Russell terriers in estates throughout the city.

“It’s like stealing to order at the moment. Gangs have an order book of specific breeds and are on the look-out for dogs who are unaccompanied.”

He added: “It is so bad now that the criminals are stealing dogs from one another that they have already stolen, because of the big money they are getting by selling them on in England.”

Mr Harnett, who lives in Cratloe, on the outskirts of the city, began travelling into various estates in Limerick in search of a 15-month-old Jack Russell belonging to his daughter, Susan, 11, which went missing two weeks ago.

He said: “From going around and talking to different people, I have established there is a massive active trade in stolen pet dogs in Limerick. The thieves are targeting good-looking, well-bred dogs and then quickly moving them on up the country and most of them end up in England where they can fetch hundreds of pounds.”

He said that in one housing estate he visited in search of his daughter’s pet dog, he discovered that five valuable pets were stolen in the space of a week.

He said that as the owner and trainer of greyhounds for many years, he lost many animals who were hurt while racing or in training. This, he said, he could accept as part of the risk in greyhound racing.

“But the animals being stolen and traded by these gangs are pets and often children have become very attached to them. The disappearance of our Jack Russell has caused enormous upset to my wife Anne, and our five children.”

He has put up posters featuring his daughter’s pet in the area.

“I went down to put one in the local shop and another person was doing the exact same. More than likely the dogs were taken by the same people,” he said.

Gardaí issue regular warning to dog owners not to allow them out unaccompanied, particularly if they are well-bred animals.