“I know who you are and I know where you are … you’re dead.”

“You better watch your back, b***h.”

Threats and intimidation are all part of a day’s work for the country’s top pet investigator, Kirilly Cull.

But that doesn’t mean this abuse is all bark and no bite.

In fact, this one woman who works to protect our four-legged family members used to be a proud Gold Coaster, but had to leave the city for her own safety after working one too many high profile cases.

Still residing in the southeast corner, Kirilly doesn’t disclose where she lives these days for the sake of not just her security, but that of her own beloved animals as well.

Operating the Facebook page Missing & Stolen Pet Investigators Australia, with more than 45,000 followers, she has learned all too well that when it comes to revenge and evil vendettas, pets make an awfully perfect payback.

Kirilly believes up to 80 per cent of animals that are missing have been taken by people known to the pet owner, whether a disgruntled neighbour, family member, someone who has been to the property before on business, or an ex-partner.

Just this week she has been working the case of dachshund Stanley, taken from his yard in nearby Kingston, with security footage showing a man known to the owner on the property.

The case has been reported to the police, but Stanley is still missing.

“Animals are taken for greed, for a vendetta or as part of a domestic dispute. But almost always the perpetrator is known to the victims,” she says.

“Cases of greed and opportunistic theft are bad, but it’s when you have the real high stakes at play of vendettas and domestic abuse that it can get dangerous. That’s why my number is unlisted.

“It’s about protecting myself and my pets. I’ve pissed off the wrong people, but they would not want to mess with my animals.

“That high emotion is why taking a pet is often linked to cases of domestic violence, it’s a form of abuse. One of the tragic things we see is that often women won’t leave a dangerous situation because there is no safe house that will take their pet, but they can’t leave their dog behind.

“Even if there is no abuse, a partner can still take a pet because it’s part of a greater custody issue, just the same as you see with children. Fur babies are true members of families.”

That’s part of the reason that Kirilly is campaigning for Queensland to change legislation to not only treat dognapping as a more serious crime, but to stop considering animals as property.

It’s a push happening not just within Australia but overseas as well.

In December, South Australia became the latest Australian jurisdiction to introduce a stand-alone criminal offence of dog theft, rather than the crime coming under the general offence of theft, with New South Wales and the Northern Territory both having similar offences.

Meanwhile, the United Kingdom is considering changing the crime of pet theft to pet abduction, to better reflect the view that dogs aren’t merely property.

“Queensland is well behind where we should be,” says Kirilly.

“We need to have harsher penalties as well as legislation that recognises losing an animal is not the same as having your car stolen, it’s more akin to losing a child.

“Stealing pets for profit is becoming much more common now too due to the spike in prices from the pandemic.

“It’s far easier to grab an animal and sell it than take a 50-inch TV - and it’s worth a lot more as well, especially if you then turn it into a private puppy mill. But the damage to the owner is so much greater.

“That’s why the punishment needs to fit the crime.”

Kirilly says pet owners also need to play their part when it comes to keeping their animals safe.

She says demand for designer dogs is not only driving the black market, but forcing owners to then skimp on essentials like medical care.

“People who are paying ridiculous prices for cavoodles, moodles, schmoodles, groodles … it’s ridiculous. You should not pay $8000 for a dog which, technically, is a mongrel - it’s a mixed breed.

“But if we keep feeding the market, they’ll keep breeding.

“I’ve often thought people should have a licence to own an animal, you should be held accountable if you let your pet roam the street or can’t afford their healthcare.

“Having said that, pets shouldn’t just be a privilege for the rich. The government should be providing some sort of Medicare for animals, it’s not fair that the animal is paying the ultimate price.

“In the meantime, our poor vets are copping it from the public - but they can’t operate for free.”

Kirilly says while she has always been passionate about animals, she only became a pet investigator after a serious health challenge requiring brain surgery two decades ago.

A former photojournalist, she says she was forced to rely on other people during her recovery, and wanted to give back to the community.

Reading and watching stories of pet theft in the media, she decided to try to help owners.

“I just wanted to help these owners and their animals. I had contacts and I knew how to investigate, it just grew from there,” she says.

“I don’t charge anyone, it’s a free service for those in need. But it’s not just me, there’s a network of big-hearted people who work alongside us volunteering.”

Even without a number or address listed, Kirilly’s network continues to grow.

Despite the danger she faces, she says she is not afraid to be the face and voice for missing and stolen pets.

“I get a lot of threats, but that won’t stop me,” she says.

“I was on Sunrise one time talking about a missing animal, and one hour later I received a message threatening my life.

“I always go straight to the police but there isn’t a lot they can do, their hands are tied.

“I do my best to protect myself, I have cameras everywhere and I’m always looking over my shoulder.

“There is a real toll to this besides the threats, you’re taking on the emotions of these owners and families … you just hope for a good ending.”

Heartache and danger may be a high price for a job that doesn’t pay, but for Kirilly it’s worth it to try to create a happy tail.