Fake rescue workers snatch dogs on walks in southern France
The pets are being forcibly stolen as owners walk them, by people in a van pretending to be from an animal welfare association
‘All breeds are being targeted,’ said the director of the SPA Perpignan
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Dog owners are being warned to be vigilant after three separate reports of dogs being forcibly stolen while being walked, by people in a van pretending to be from the animal welfare association, the SPA.
The incidents have so far all happened in Perpignan (Pyrénées-Orientales, Occitanie). A white van with the SPA (La Société Protectrice des Animaux) logo on it (fraudulently) has reportedly been driving around, looking for people walking their dogs.
The criminals inside the van have - each time - got out, stolen the dogs from their owners quickly, and taken them inside the van, before driving away. Three owners have reported the theft so far.
The director of the Perpignan SPA said in a statement: “All breeds are being targeted. We don't have any precise information at the moment, but these thefts may be linked to animal trafficking, particularly abroad.”
The SPA Perpignan has alerted the police and warns all dog owners to be vigilant.
The white van could be in some way connected to the theft of an SDA (Société de Défense des Animaux) van (not SPA) from the commune of Estournel, the director added, although that happened 1,000 kilometres away in northern France. This van has not yet been found.
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