Dognapping Is Surprisingly Common. Here's How To Protect Fido.

LOS ANGELES, CA — Though rarely is dognapping as violent as the armed theft of Lady Gaga’s dogs on Wednesday, it’s an extremely common crime. In fact, the American Kennel Club estimates that 2 million dogs are stolen every year.

Unlike Lady Gaga’s case, which involved a $500,000 reward after her dog walker was robbed at gunpoint and shot, most dog thefts are likely crimes of opportunity, according to authorities.

“It’s generally not violent. The incident with Gaga is super rare,” said Brandi Hunter, vice president of communications for the American Kennel Club. “Typically, thieves just see the dog — they take the dog.”

Thieves see unattended dogs in yards or parked cars or tied up outside stores, and they grab them and run, said Hunter. Especially vulnerable to theft are the expensive little breeds such as French bulldogs and Yorkies.

“Some breeds are more often targets. It’s a lot harder to steal an Irish wolfhound than a French bulldog,” said Hunter. “They are in high demand, and they can range from $1,500 to $5,000.”

That’s because of how expensive they are to breed, requiring C-section births and frequently artificial insemination.

Contrary to popular misconception, “pandemic pup” dog thefts aren’t on the rise in the United States, Hunter said.

“It’s pretty much stayed on par as it has been,” she said.

SEE ALSO: Ryan Fischer, Lady Gaga's Dog Walker, Speaks Out After Shooting

According to Crosstown, a nonprofit news organization based out of the USC Annenberg School of Communication and Journalism, dog thefts have remained fairly stable over the past few years in Los Angeles. Crosstown found 53 Los Angeles Police Department reports of dog theft dating back to July 2017. The crime is likely underreported, often treated by victims or investigators as lost-dog cases.

Commonly, that is exactly how they start off. According to Karin TarQwyn, a private investigator specializing in pets, thieves often paint themselves as good Samaritans.

“People really want French bulldogs — not just to sell, but to keep. The dog gets picked up by somebody, and instead of returning it, they make the decision to keep it. That’s what the case is 99 percent of the time. French bulldogs are the hardest to get back. It takes a lot of reward money to get the dog back,” TarQwyn told Slate.com. “The most commonly stolen dog is a French bulldog. But in most cases, people aren’t stealing the dog. Mostly, when a person takes what they think is a stray bulldog, they just think they’re being a good Samaritan or abiding by “finders keepers. Sometimes, the dogs are held for resale and reward. Bulldogs are stolen — by which I mean taken off their property with intent. But they’re not stolen as often as people think.”

One high-profile case occurred last month in San Francisco's Russian Hill neighborhood when Sarah Vorhaus was attacked at gunpoint while walking her French bulldog puppy. Three men jumped out of a car, brutally beat her and took her dog.

"It feels like it's been three days and it feels like it's been 10 years," Vorhaus told ABC7. "It's been really hard balancing trying to stay hopeful and feeling hopeless that we're going to get her back."

The story of another Bay Area family offers some hope, however. When their French bulldog Brody wandered out of his San Lorenzo home, they conducted a social media blitz to get him back, and it worked. A month after Brody disappeared, he reappeared in Tijuana, where a former Bay Area resident purchased the pup from a man selling him on the street for $1,000. The man realized his new dog was the missing Brody and returned the dog to his owners, declining a reward.

At gunpoint or mysteriously disappeared from the back yard, the loss of a pet can be devastating.

"My heart is sick and I am praying my family will be whole again with an act of kindness," Gaga posted on Instagram shortly after her two dogs were taken. She spared no expense, offering a no-questions-asked $500,000 reward. Within days, her two bulldogs were returned to her.

Offering a reward can be a good way to get a lost or stolen dog back, said Hunter. The American Kennel Club offers a number of tips for getting a stolen or missing dog back.

• Offer a reward.
• Contact shelters and vets to be on the lookout for anyone who might bring your pet in.
• File a police report.
• Post flyers in person and on social media
• Most importantly, make sure ahead of time that your dog is microchipped and tagged so that vets or anyone who finds your dog immediately knows it has a home. Update your microchip information when you move or change your number.

Even better, however, is to prevent your pup from being stolen. Hunter recommends:

• Never leave your dog in the yard (front or back) unattended.
• Never, for any reason, leave a dog alone in a car.
• Don’t leave it tied up outside a store.
• Be careful that your social media posts don’t let thieves know where they can find you. And be wary of people on social media who ask lots of questions about your dog and its breeding.

“All these things are prime pickings for thieves. You never know who’s looking, who’s watching,” said Hunter. “It’s best to be vigilant and as proactive as possible.”