Two husky dogs disappeared near Tarbes in December 2022. Their owner is still without news. Every year hundreds of thousands of pets disappear into thin air.
Ophélie Valor has not forgotten the date: December 16, 2022. It was on that day that her two husky dogs Nala and Tyna disappeared in Aubarede in the Hautes-Pyrénées. She tells : ” They disappeared into a fenced yard with an electric gate within ten minutes while I was inside the house.“
The young woman is now convinced that her two dogs were stolen from her: “There was no trace of escape, no hair, the earth had not been dug. I called on a private detective who confirmed this lead for me.”. She decided to file a complaint immediately.
“My two dogs, they are everything to me. I have had them since they were born”
Ophélie ValorOwner of the female dogs
For 9 months, she has been searching for them tirelessly, putting up posters, sharing posts, calling veterinary shelters and police stations. ” I spent a lot of money trying to find them without success, deplores the young woman. I went to veterinary clinics in Spain, in the Basque Country and all the surrounding departments.”
In a recent Facebook video she expressed her incomprehension: “I'm making a little message for the thieves, I would like you to return my dogs to me and contact me, I am ready to buy them back. I don't know what your goal is, I think this has gone on long enough. I won't forget and I won't give up.”
The owner now fears that her two dogs will be used for breeding and animal trafficking with their puppies. It is the third largest traffick in the world after weapons and drugs. “Animals can bring in a lot of money, by making litters, they can also be used as transport for narcotics. They can be at the crossroads of a lot of things“, indicates Céline Gardel, police captain and president of the 4 Pattounes association.
Nala and Tyna are not special cases, every year many animals disappear, especially cats. According to the I-CAD animal identification file barometer, 88,202 animals were declared lost by their owners in 2022. A rising figure and all especially for cats. In one year, in the greater Toulouse region, the police captain counted 1,500 lost cats.
According to the barometer, thefts represent a fairly small part of the origin of losses (619 declarations in 2022). The husky and jack russel are among the top five most lost breeds. “ Since the beginning of January, I created a group on social networks, we are more than 25 owners of missing huskies throughout France“, attests Ophélie Valor.
In France, the identification of dogs, cats and ferrets is now compulsory either by tattoo or electronic chip. The police captain recalls: “ If this is not done, the owners may be fined 750 euros. This allows the traceability of the animal in the event of wandering, theft or trafficking, it can make it possible to find it.”
In the event of the disappearance of your animal, several actions can be taken. You must report the loss or theft on I-Cad. This file can be consulted and visible to the police and veterinarians.
There are also other sites to report Pet Alert disappearances, but also Filalapat and finally Patte en cavale in many departments. “ They are there to connect people who have lost their animal and people who have found or seen the animal.details Céline Gardel.
If the animal runs away, the police captain also recommends going to the pounds near your home. “We have 8 days to get it back. You can be fined for wandering and for childcare costs.”
In the event of theft, it is also possible to file a complaint: “we can do it but only if there is an infraction. This requires three elements: material, moral and legal. That is to say that the person had the intention of doing it and that there is also evidence, otherwise the complaint is against X and risks not being successful, because there is not enough of elements”recalls the police captain.
