Pet Theft Awareness Day is celebrated on February 14th of every year.  Pet Theft Awareness Week runs from the 14th to the 21st of February. Pet theft remains a terrible reality across the world. The importance of this day is to ask yourself how safe your pet is. Organized pet thieves’ most common victims are cats and dogs. Purebred dogs are stolen in the highest count. These stolen purebred dogs, especially toys, puppies, and designer breeds, are sold and shipped for two main purposes-to be used as bait in training dog fighting and to be sold to laboratories through B dealers for testing and biomedical experimentation. Pets may be sold to puppy mills for breeding purposes. Stealing a pet could get one up to four years in jail.

“Even if animal tests produced a cure for AIDS, we’d be against it.” – Ingrid Newkirk

History of Pet Theft Awareness Day

Last Chance for Animals organization is a US-based non-profit organization that supports animal rights and created great documentaries against the use of animals for testing purposes. The organization was founded in 1984 by Hollywood actor Chris DeRose as a group to oppose the experimentation on living animals. In 2000, the organization focused on pet theft, the fur trade, and pets used in circuses. In  2013, by chance Arnot Wilson director of the Dog Union saw a graphic on social media on pet theft which led him to the founding of Pet Theft Awareness; the co-founder is Richard Jordan. Thus a day was created to spread awareness of pet theft.

Pet Theft Awareness Day 2018 - February 14

Other Celebrations on February 14

February 14 is also celebrated as

How to Celebrate the Day

Pet Theft Awareness Day is aimed at educating animal owners in keeping their pets safe from thieves. Pets are considered to be the most valued living possession, so it is essential that the dog’s parents have to be aware of the importance of the day. On this day owners can aim to make a collar ID tag and license for their dog to give a proper identity, and can also get additional security with a microchip. Never offer your pet “free to good home ads” when looking for a new home for your pet. Various other non-profit organizations are guiding dog owners on pet theft awareness on this particular day to minimize pet theft around the world. People can use the hashtag #PetTheftAwarenessDay to express their feelings about Pet Theft Awareness Day on social media.

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