42 pets stolen from across Townsville in past financial year

Many pets are reported stolen from across Townsville each year, including snakes, turtles, birds and even fish.

A TOWNSVILLE woman who suspects her two dogs were stolen has spoken of the heartbreak of losing her family pets.

Many pets are reported stolen from across the district each year, including snakes, turtles, birds and even fish.

Young mother Jordan Pryce believes her two american staffordshire terriers – Frankie, 2, and Jax, 4 – were stolen in September after they disappeared from their Rasmussen home.

Frankie, a desexed female, was found 10 days later but Jax is still missing.

“I still hope that he might come home, but I don’t really think that he will,” Ms Pryce said. “I think someone’s got him and they’ve taken him a long, long way.”

Pet theft is not uncommon in Townsville, with 47 animals across the district reported stolen in the past financial year, 81 per cent of which were dogs, police figures reveal. Already, 18 pooches have been reported stolen in the past six months.

Ms Pryce said she immediately followed the dogs barking down the street after realising they had escaped, but their barks suddenly stopped.

“It was if somebody had just picked them up because the dogs had stopped barking and they were nowhere to be seen,” she said.

Jordan Pryce of Rasmussen with one Frankie, of her two dogs she claims was stolen. Picture: Zak Simmonds

Ms Pryce said she called every vet in Townsville, called the pounds multiple times each day, and posted images to Facebook pages around the country. Frankie was found on Hervey Range 10 days later by a passer-by who took her to a nearby vet, where she was then reconnected with her owner.

“I did suspect that somebody had stolen them,” Ms Pryce said. “They are a breeding pair and I believe my girl was dumped because she’s desexed, and he’s not fixed. He’s of use to somebody.”

Ms Pryce, who went to the police, said she had a gut feeling they were taken.

“(Because of) the fact that I couldn’t hear them anymore when I was following them,” she said. “The fact that no one had seen them, not a single sighting.

“The fact that the vet said my other dog’s injuries were consistent with falling off a ute, that she was found so far away from home, and that they were a breeding pair.”

Police figures reveal 182 pets have been reported stolen across the district in the past four years to June.

Police said pet theft was an offence and was investigated thoroughly by local officers.

Originally published as 42 pets stolen from across Townsville in past financial year