Why are so many German Shepherds going missing in Butte?

Last Saturday was one of the most painful days of my life.  Instead of celebrating a beautiful Saturday in Uptown Butte at my friend Matt Boyle's "420 Munchies Off Main Food Truck Festival", my family's day consisted of watching our beloved German Shorthaired Pointer, Snickers, slowly lose the use of his legs followed by an emergency visit to the veterinarian where we ultimately had to make the decision to euthanize our beloved pet.

This was painful and unexpected, but it was something that we could control.  It still is, though, the longest I've been away from that dog in over 14 years.  He never ran away more than a block or two when he would escape the fence and was always home within 15 minutes or so.  So, it's hard for me to imagine the pain of those whose dogs go missing here in Butte every day.  At Townsquare Media, we actively try to help reunite lost dogs with their owners through radio alerts and a lot of the time we are successful.  But a recent post on Facebook's "butte lost & found pets" page has raised suspicions that something fishy may be happening with some of these dogs, not Shorthaired Pointers but German Shepherds in particular.

Is dognapping happening in Butte?  Another post had some great recommendations for dog owners to follow to prevent this from happening to their pets.

• Keep a close eye on your pet when unleashed.  This includes in your yard or at dog parks.
• Do not leave your dog in an unattended car.
• Never tie your dog outside of stores or other public places.
• Consider microchipping your pet for tracking purposes.