Wealthy French bulldog owners in Beverly Hills are taking drastic measures to protect their pets from dognappers, including carrying tasers and refusing to walk them in public. The soaring popularity of 'Frenchies' among celebrities has made them a prime target for dog-snatching gangs who sell them on a lucrative black market.
Purebred Frenchies can fetch between £2,900 and £22,100, with additional profits from rewards offered by desperate owners. The issue gained widespread attention last year when Lady Gaga's pet minder was shot by thieves who stole two of her three French bulldogs. The dogs were returned after she offered a £354,000 reward.
Interior designer Robert Marinelli said he no longer walks his Frenchie, Luca, after the dog was snatched near Soho House in West Hollywood. The thieves jumped out of a black car and grabbed Luca; Marinelli tried to intervene but was dragged down the road. The dog was returned after a £7,000 reward was offered.
Another resident said she now takes her dogs for drives instead of walks, keeping them in the back of a tinted-window car so no one can see them. Others use children's strollers with covers to conceal their pets. Some owners are even considering moving to safer neighbourhoods.
In the UK, dognapping incidents nearly tripled during the pandemic. The government plans to make dog theft a specific offence, punishable by up to five years in prison, under the Animal Welfare (Kept Animals) Bill.
