I’ve read sad appeals on Facebook when a dognapping has occurred – usually in quiet country villages where an unusual van has been lurking and suddenly dogs disappear. But dognapping in central London? Who’d risk the attention on a busy urban high street? Well, someone did on Hampstead High Street, just an hour ago.
I was coming home from Teddy’s lunchtime walk when one of our local builders told me to watch out. “Be careful when you walk your dog,” he said. When I asked why, he said that 20 minutes ago, he’d heard screaming and run up the street to where he saw a man trying to wrestle a dog from a woman. When our heroic handyman charged up, the dognapper hustled back into his white panel van, and sped off with his two mates.
Fortunately number plates were noted and passed to the police. Local newspapers have been alerted. What can you do? Keep alert. Don’t walk along chatting on a mobile telephone. (Practise your right hook.) I’ll try and remember to hold Ted’s lead in my left hand from now on and walk him on the inside of the pavement.
And then, of course, it’s worth bearing in mind that the worst case scenario did not actually occur. The dog was not taken. Kind people intervened. Order was restored. I’m feeling very thankful for this busy, caring community.
