Dog theft is not a major feature of life in Luxembourg, and the sensible response is neither panic nor complacency. Most of the measures that protect against theft also protect against the far more common events: a dog that escapes, a gate left open, a dog that follows somebody out of a building door.
The habits worth having
- Never tie a dog outside a shop, a bakery or a supermarket. It is the single situation where a dog can be walked away with in seconds, and it is also stressful for the dog and unsafe around passers-by
- Never leave a dog in a car unattended, which is already the rule for heat and applies here too
- Close gates and check them, and be careful with tradespeople, deliveries and removals, when doors stand open
- Off lead only where you have decided in advance, and within sight
- Vary the routine a little if you always walk alone in the same isolated place at the same hour
- Do not let strangers take photographs of your dog if the request feels odd, and be wary of unusually detailed questions about breed, value, where you live and when you are out
The measure that actually returns dogs is identification: a microchip registered to you, with a telephone number that works, plus a visible tag.
What to have ready
Keep, in one place on your phone: the microchip number, a photograph of the registration, two clear photographs of the dog including any distinctive markings, the insurance details and your vet's number. If your dog ever goes missing, you will be asked for all of it in the first ten minutes and you will not be in a state to hunt for it.
Check the register once a year, and whenever you move or change telephone number. An out-of-date number is the commonest reason a found dog takes days instead of hours to come home.
Social media, sensibly
You do not need to stop posting photographs of your dog. What is worth avoiding is the combination that makes a routine legible: the same park at the same time every day, your building visible in the background, the dog's name and breed, and a public account.
Be careful too with posts that announce you are away on holiday while the dog is at home with a sitter. That is a security question about your flat as much as about your dog.
If a dog goes missing, whatever the cause
Act immediately rather than waiting. Search the immediate area first, because most dogs are found within a kilometre. Report to the Police grand-ducale and to your commune, flag the chip as lost or stolen with the register, and telephone every veterinary practice within a few kilometres, since a found dog is usually taken to the nearest one to be scanned.
Post in local community groups with a clear photograph, the place and time, a single telephone number and the instruction not to chase. Add a line in French, German and English. Put physical notices at the point of loss and at the nearest junctions.
If your dog is one of the breeds classified as susceptible to being dangerous, the loss has to be reported to the police within twelve hours.
If you believe it was taken
Report it as a theft rather than as a loss, with the chip number, photographs, the time and place, and the names of any witnesses. Do not arrange to meet someone alone to recover a dog: involve the police. Be sceptical of anyone demanding money for information, which is a known pattern around lost pet posts.
The person who holds your keys
Anyone who walks or sits for your dog is part of your security arrangements. Keys recorded on a signed form and stored under a code rather than your name and address, a written entry routine, and the rule that the dog is never left tied outside anywhere. Ask about all three at the meet & greet: a professional will have an answer ready, because they have thought about it before you asked.
General information for dog owners in Luxembourg, not veterinary or legal advice. For your own dog, ask your vet, a qualified behaviourist or your commune. How this journal is written and checked.
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