NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — Investigators say “dog flipping” is a growing business and on Thursday, Murfreesboro investigators set up a sting to catch someone who had been selling a stolen dog.
A woman told police her dog went missing from her Franklin County home and ended up in a Craiglist ad.
Murfreesboro police agreed to set up a sting for her.
She would call the seller and pretend to be interested in buying the dog and when the seller showed up, officers would be there too. Unfortunately, the seller never showed.
“The operation was called off,” said Kyle Evans with Murfreesboro Police Department. “The investigation will continue into who is actually in possession of the dog and how that dog came into their possession; whether it was sold to them or if they stole the dog.”
Evans said police have been getting more reports of people saying their stolen or missing dogs are ending up for sale online.
“We’re seeing more cases where someone is stealing someone’s family pet and then selling it on an online site,” Evans said.
Jody Beskini with the Rutherford Animal Group said she’s working on a database with Animal Control so rescue groups, like her own, can track down dog flippers.
“It’s phenomenal how much it’s going on,” she said. “Sometimes these flippers change their Facebook profiles and names.”
She hopes buyers out there do their research so someone’s family pet isn’t flipped for a profit.
If you’re buying a dog on Craiglist, check your local animal shelter and make sure there isn’t a missing report for a dog that fits that description. Also, check the dog for a microchip, which will easily tell you if it belongs to someone else.
