Just last month, a man was arrested on suspicion of attempted dognapping [1] of Bo Obama, first dog of the United States. This got us wondering how prevalent dognapping actually is, so we reached out to pet GPS tracker company Whistle [2] to see what kind of statistics it could pull together.

According to Whistle, which cited Last Chance For Animals and the ASPCA, an estimated two million pets are victims of theft every single year. That number is astounding, but theft can be decreased if you do these three simple things.

• Don't leave your pet unattended in public — Always make sure your pet is supervised when you aren't at home. Leaving pets in cars or tied up in front of a shop opens up risk for theft or other tragic results.
• Keep your pet's microchip information up to date — Making sure the chip information is current ensures they have a permanent form of identification should they turn up missing. If your pet doesn't already have a chip, we highly recommend it [3].
• Use a GPS tracker — Not only is a GPS tracker a helpful tool in the case of a loss, but a device on your pet's collar signals that you are a proactive and tuned-in owner and makes your pet seem like a less convenient victim.