Alta. family searching for dog believed to have been stolen

Aynsley Foss and her dog Dixie. (Courtesy: Aynsley Foss)

A Rocky View family is desperately searching for their dog believed to have been stolen last month.

Aynsley Foss hasn’t seen her beloved dog Dixie in a month. The RCMP is involved and says Dixie might not be the only pooch to have been taken.

The family pet and well-trained livestock guardian, a three-year-old Maremma Sheepdog, went missing from Foss’ rural property on Nov. 27.

“I started to look in the neighbours’ area and then I did check the AirTag and realized it was about 15 minutes away,” said Foss.

After hours of searching, she found the tag on the side of the road just north of Cochrane, but no Dixie.

“You have to really weave it through centimetre by centimetre,” explained Foss. “It’s not really something that can pop off so there is definitely human interference to get it off.

Foss has combed the area in search of Dixie, even using a helicopter and drone to look for her dog.

She’s also turned to the internet, creating an online group where she says she’s heard similar stories from other owners.

The Facebook group now has almost 3,000 members, with many posting similar-looking white dogs. More than 100 leads later, Foss said none have turned out to be Dixie.

A lost dog poster for Aynsley Foss' dog Dixie. (Courtesy: Aynsley Foss)

RCMP tells CTV News it believes Dixie was stolen and is investigating.

“We’ve since seized that AirTag and we’ve done forensics on it for fingerprints and we are actually looking for DNA with that AirTag,” said RCMP Cpl. Troy Savinkoff.

RCMP says two Pyrenees dogs also suspiciously went missing from the area around when Dixie was stolen.

Online reports and emails to CTV News claim dozens of dog snatchings with allegations of everything from reselling to dog fighting rings.

Mounties find no truth to the rumours – noting there are only five cases, including Dixie’s, where they believe dogs were stolen.

RCMP notes a larger investigation earlier this year found no evidence to show dog thefts are on the rise.

“You do hear a lot of rumours about thefts in areas, but typically we receive very few reports. I wonder if that’s because a lot of times when these occur owners are unsure if it is a theft or simply a dog lost,” said Cpl. Savinkoff.

According to RCMP data, there were around 75 cases this year where dogs were reported stolen but later found.

For those whose pets have been taken, it’s an emotional and worrying experience.

“I think a lot of people are shocked dog theft is a thing and for me, I was incredibly shocked. I had no idea people stole dogs,” said Foss.

Foss is now crowdfunding to hire a private investigator to help search for her dog and the others she’s heard about online.

RCMP says using a tracker like an AirTag can help locate your lost dog or confirm if it is stolen.

Getting your pets tattooed or microchipped can also help return them safely.