Dog parents are on high alert amid theft spike

So-called “dognappings” are on the rise. So, what's behind this surge, and how can you mitigate potential distress for your dog?

Reports and video of pet thefts have owners on high alert.

In a surveillance video from earlier this year, Teffiney Worthy and her dog Hendrix were seen going up the stairs after their early evening walk in Washington, D.C. Shortly afterward, a masked man ran up the stairs and threatened her.

"Said, give me your dog or I’m gonna kill you,” Worthy said the thief told her. “It’s just traumatizing; I don’t even know where to go from here."

AKC Reunite provides identification services to ten million pets with implanted microchips.

“12% of the pets reported lost to us are reported as having been stolen. The number of pets reported stolen to us has increased140% over that four-year period,” said Tom Sharp, President and CEO of AKC Reunite.