By Nigel Maxwell

Dogs disappearing without a trace

Jan 20, 2011 | 5:16 AM

Dogs are going missing in the Prince Albert area and their owners believe someone is selling them for money.

“My worst fear is that he is out there freezing to death, and starving right now somewhere tied up in the bush,” said Anita Shaw from Shellbrook whose shepherd – rottweiler cross has been gone for two weeks.

Barb Wicks lives near Birch Hills. On the morning of Nov. 13, she and her husband left their yard.

When they returned an hour later, their two golden retrievers had gone missing.

The male was found two weeks later but the female is still missing.

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She said she has been told that they were tied to a tree for 17 days. The male was found starving to death.

Some of her neighbours have also had their dogs stolen. Wicks said she has heard the thieves want money.

“They will meet people and no questions asked get their reward money or they will keep the females to raise puppies.”

Brianne Lypchuk lives in Prince Albert. Her Yorkie-Terrier Nala went missing in August.

Three months later she got a call from a woman who had seen one of her posters.

“They ended up taking her to La Loche and trying to sell her up there for $400 and then they went to Rosetown, because that's where they were from and they were trying to sell her there for $400.”
Brianne's fiancée and friends drove to Rosetown and took back the dog.

The Prince Albert SPCA says it has been getting calls for several months about missing dogs.

“If those dogs had escaped out of a yard and were running at large, our bylaw officers would have received phone calls on that. They would have picked them up and they should have ended up (at the SPCA). They have not. There is no sign of these dogs. We are on board with the owners that these dogs are missing,” said Debbie Lehner, SPCA Manager.

The dog owners we spoke to said they have tried contacting the RCMP. So far our calls to the RCMP have not been returned.

nmaxwell@panow.com