Alarming number of dogs going missing in rural Alberta, says reader

A Stony Plain woman says she has had her best friend, Axal, stolen from her. She has created a Facebook page called Bring Axal Home.

On Feb. 6, she contacted us and wrote:

“My best friend was stolen from me on December 5th, 2023. Just outside of Stony Plain, Alberta. He’s never left my side in 11 yrs and we’ve been across this country together. I could write a million stories about why he’s the best dog, but truthfully we all have the best dog and none of us are wrong!

My boy though, he has saved my life more than once and worth every avenue explored to find him. He is in prime health, and lots of life to live. This is what brings me here to you today. It’s so much bigger than just one pup gone missing.

My story is similar to the other 50+ dogs that have also gone missing from November 10th till present. All rural dogs, most of them all livestock or guardian dogs. No history of ever leaving their properties. From Central to South Alberta.

The authorities won’t help, unless the work is done for them and they have “concrete evidence”. Despite the fact that animal (skinned hides) have been found at 2 properties, Tranq darts also found at 2 other properties, several attempted abductions and reportings of other dogs, and the list could go on. The biggest red flag is when you reach out to other fellow dog rescuers and recovery services (that have been doing this for years). They will be the first to tell you they haven’t seen an increase in dog thefts like this in quite some time.

Dog theft is rapidly increasing across Alberta. The RCMP stated in an interview with CBC and CTV news on December 27 that there are only 5 dog napping cases in Alberta, meanwhile the number from the public is an upwards of 50 stolen dogs throughout November to current date. The most recent crime was committed on February 2nd, 2024.

Crimes are going unreported as a result of law enforcement turning victims away from filing a crime, and reported crimes are not being investigated or closed due to the lack of resources and jurisdictional restrictions amongst the RCMP. One strong criminal case was closed with several avenues of investigation not pursued by the RCMP.

I am concerned that these crimes are sharply rising while not being investigated. As such, I am seeking the media’s help to bring awareness to this issue. This is a topical and notable story for the public, as there is a growing concern with the spike of this criminal activity.

I started a facebook page to help look for my best friend (Bring Axal Home), but a quick search of any social media lost pets pages can show you all the common breeds and locations these pups have been last seen. So many, the posters literally start to have names. Axal, Dixie, Stella, Gracie, Kane, Logan, Teeter, Appa, Super…there are so many. No sightings.

We appreciate your time and look forward to hopefully having the media get this story out, raise awareness and prevent other pups from being taken from their families.”

Krista