If you have ever come home to an empty yard or your dog not greeting you at the door like he always has in the past – you understand what the initial reaction of what dognapping is. What should you do if it happens to you?

“There are people who actually go around and look for dogs to steal and they are doing it for a number of reasons,” says Fields. “One could be that they intend to resell the dogs to laboratories or secondary sources, which is totally illegal but it happens. There are also scammers out there that people need to be aware of. People will call up and say wire me this money and I will send you your dog back when in fact they have no intention of doing that or they may not even have your dog.”

Rumours of “bunchers” stealing family dogs for sale to laboratories have been circulating for years and Last Chance for Animals provided concrete evidence of the practice when it launched an undercover investigation of the dog dealer, C. C Baird of Arkansas. Last summer, Baird, who had previously been fined for animal cruelty violations in 1997, pleaded guilty to a string of violations under the US Animal Welfare Act. His wife, Patsy, also entered a guilty plea and a number of associates suspected of stealing dogs are also under investigation. A documentary on the case called Dealing Dogs was shown on HBO in February.

While some police forces will be happy to file a report, it won't be priority number one down at the local station house. The best chance you have of recovering your four- legged friend is to become your own private detective, says Pizzuti.

“Immediately go to shelters and put up posters in your area,” she urges. “Start off with a 3-mile radius. If, after three days, you don't have your dog back, go to a 10-mile radius. Wait five, ten days and if you don't have your dog back, go to a 50-mile radius. Just keep going out. Go up to a 100- mile radius because we've had dogs 100 miles from home in three days. Some people will give up after a couple of weeks but we've had people who have found their dogs a year later. So don't give up.”

This is excellent advice from ModernDog for a potentially devastating event.

All we can add is the need to keep positive while understanding there is a possibility you may not see your dog again. A horrible thought, we know, but – on the other hand – when you are reunited with your wonderful pooch, whether it be days, weeks or months from the day when he disappeared  — think of the pure joy you will experience!