MG&A veterinary market research: Do you lie awake at night fearing that your dog may get stolen?
According to a recent press release in Veterinary Times (January 9th 2017), dog theft is on the rise for the forth year in a row. Despite many owners believing that dogs are taken from a public place, the article revealed that more than 70% were stolen from where they live and almost half from in the home.
In a recent survey, we asked dog owners…on a day to day basis, how do you feel about the likelihood of [NAME OF THEIR DOG] being stolen?
Over a third (35%) said that, on a day to day basis, they were very worried (7%) or worried (28%) about their dog being stolen. A quarter (24%) said they were not worried at all about this. Knowing the facts about dog theft, how concerned would you be?
For those of us that are concerned, Blue Cross gives the following advice on their website.
-
Keeping your dog safe
• Think twice before leaving your dog tied up outside a shop. You will make them a vulnerable and tempting target for opportunist thieves.
• Don’t leave your dog alone in the car, even for a few minutes. Thieves can easily break into your car to steal your precious pet.
• Make sure your dog is microchipped and that you keep your contact details up-to-date, especially if you move house or change your telephone number.
• Your dog should always wear a collar and ID tag with your name and address on it. This is a legal requirement when your dog is in a public place. Avoid putting your dog’s name on the disc.
• Take clear photographs of your dog from various angles, and update them regularly. Make a note of any distinguishing features.
• Have lots of photographs of yourself with your dog, to help you to prove ownership if needed. Train your dog to come back when called, and never let him off the lead if you are not sure he will come back to you. If in doubt, use an extending lead, especially if you are in an unfamiliar area where your dog may get lost more easily.
• Take care when choosing someone to care for your dog if you are going away from home or need a dog walker whilst you go to work. Use a reputable company or boarding kennels and check references for people who provide dog or house-sitting services.
• At home, make sure your garden is secure and fit a bell to the gate so you hear if anyone opens it.
• Keep your dog in view in the garden, don’t just leave him outside unsupervised.
• If you breed puppies for sale, take great care when inviting people in to view; ideally have someone else present and limit the numbers of people you allow in at a time. Show the puppies in one secure area.
• Decide who owns the dog in your household. Discuss who would own the dog in the event of bereavement or break up and draw up documentation to this effect. This may seem unnecessary, but pets can become the centre of ownership disputes in these circumstances.
Prevent your dog being stolen while out walking
• Beware of strangers asking you questions about your dog.
• Vary your times of walks and routes; some dogs are actually targeted and snatched during walks.
If the worst happens and your dog is stolen
• If your dog is lost or suspected stolen, it is important to act quickly.
• Report the loss to your local council’s Dog Warden and those in all other neighbouring local authorities.
• Visit places where dog walkers go such as local parks and public places and talk to people, asking them to keep an eye open for your dog.
• If you believe your pet has been stolen, report it to the police and insist it is recorded as a theft and not a lost animal.
• Report the loss/theft to the microchip database, this will ensure that if anyone tries to re-register the chip number, you will be informed.
• Make posters and display them in areas local to your home and also in relevant places such as vets, local parks etc. The poster should include a clear photograph and details of the circumstances.
• Make sure local vets are aware in case someone takes your dog in for treatment.
• Report the loss on as many as possible of the missing animals websites – there is no single national missing animals database, so you will have to place the same information on all of them to ensure a widespread appeal.
• Contact local animal shelters and rescue charities and send them posters to display.
Losing a pet due to theft or other reasons is a traumatic event. Blue Cross operates the national Pet Bereavement Support Service which can be contacted on 0800 096 6606 (8.30am – 8.30pm) or by email: pbssmail@bluecross.org.uk.
MG&A conducted an online survey among 250 dog owners in December 2016. The questions ranged from the serious to the frivolous.
About the sample:
All respondents were dog owners:
• Aged or 21y or older with 9% over 60y
• Either totally or jointly responsible for the health and well-being of the dog
• Living in UK
In addition to at least one dog:
• 27% had a cat
• 10% had a small furry
If you would like further information on this survey or you would like to discuss the possibility of MG&A conducting a bespoke survey for you among pet owners, farmers, vets or other healthcare professionals, please do get in touch mo@mogannonassociates.com or contact Mo through LinkedIn
Who is MG&A?
Based near London in UK, Mo Gannon & Associates (MG&A) provides B2B and B2C marketing consultancy and marketing research, specialising in agriculture, animal health and veterinary markets, both in UK and internationally.
MG&A utilises a wide range of quantitative and qualitative methodologies, including several different online approaches, in order to help clients achieve their objectives.
Typical challenges our clients ask us to help them with include…
• Identifying and satisfying market opportunities
• Generating, refining and evaluating marketing activities
• Monitoring market performance
These objectives often include techniques such as Gabor Granger or Van Westendorp pricing models, market segmentation, providing Net Promoter Scores etc. MG&A also facilitates large group Stakeholder Engagement Workshops for clients and their customers. More information can be found at www.mogannonassociates.com or on LinkedIn