CALGARY — The theft of a dog from a farm near Cochrane, Alta., has sparked fears by its owner that criminals may increasingly be targeting such animals in rural areas of the province.
Such crimes are likely being underreported by producers, said Aynsley Foss of Foss Hollow Farms, whose dog, Dixie, was stolen Nov. 27.
“I’m trying to build awareness of dog theft in the province, and it’s quite isolated to rural.”
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The RCMP was able to determine Dixie had not wandered off on her own as a lost dog because Foss had placed an Apple AirTag on the animal, said cpl. Troy Savinkoff. The tracking device was found several kilometres away from the farm after someone removed it from the white Maremma sheepdog, he said.
Foss said such working dogs can be valued up to $2,000. She described Dixie as not only a livestock guardian that helped keep coyotes and intruders away from her farm, which boards horses and contains an equestrian stable, but also as a valued companion with whom Foss had established a close bond.
“She makes the farm feel safer, she makes the other animals feel safer, she makes me feel safer, so there’s a huge component of that, but then also … I’m with my animals all the time, right? So, it’s a huge hole in your life when one of them goes missing, whether by natural causes or something like that.”
Although Dixie was reported missing Nov. 29, she was likely taken around 5:30 p.m. Nov. 27, with the AirTag removed at 6:03 p.m., said Foss. The device was recovered near the east side of Sunset Boulevard close to the Highway 22 intersection in the northern outskirts of Cochrane, which is northwest of Calgary, said Savinkoff.
The AirTag, which is about the size of a $1 coin, had been woven into the dog’s collar and the location where it was discarded suggests a vehicle was used in the theft, said Foss.
“And since then, we’ve done a very large search effort, and then as well, I’ve connected with several other people who’ve had their dogs stolen, and now we’re trying to consolidate some information and really solve what’s going on.”
Savinkoff said it can be difficult to accurately assess the situation because thefts could be underreported as lost dogs, which do not necessarily involve police investigations.
“But certainly, if anybody has concerns that they believe that their dog was stolen, they should report it to the RCMP.”
Statistics gathered by the RCMP do not indicate there is an active crime spree involving the theft of dogs in Alberta, said Savinkoff. There were five thefts in 2023 compared to about 75 reports that turned out to be lost dogs that were later recovered, along with about 150 reports involving incidents such as marital breakups where couples disputed the ownership of their dogs, he added.
“I’m sure dogs are worth money, but this isn’t an organized crime group that’s stealing five dogs in the whole province a year and moving them inter-provincially. I mean, anything’s a possibility. I’m sure the reasons that these dogs are taken are as varied as the people themselves, but there’s no indication that’s something that took place here.”
Producers should consider placing AirTags on their dogs to not only track the animals but to also help the RCMP determine if they have been stolen, said Savinkoff.
Foss said other precautions could include installing trail cameras around farms.
She had not yet found Dixie as of Jan. 2 despite offering a reward of $5,000, which was part of an extensive campaign that included a helicopter search, canvassing people and putting up posters and using social media. Foss said she had pursued more than 100 tips to locations as far north as Barrhead, Alta.
“I just feel like if she’s out there and she’s stolen, she probably wasn’t stolen by good people, and they could be harming her. It’s my duty to keep her safe, and I don’t know if she’s safe or not. And yeah, I guess I love her.”
Contact doug.ferguson@producer.com
