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Metal Kennels Stolen In Kent

 

Metal Kennels theft is on the rise but whilst it is normally the highly sort after pups that are targeted it looks like now there is a new type of crime for dog owners to worry about.

All dog kennels have dog run areas with metal bars or mesh panels as part of their kennels. These metal kennels consist of a series of dog panels that are bolted together and easily removed. These dog panels can have a very high resale value or they could be worth quite a lot even as scrap metal.

Last week one farm was raided and the intruders fled with all their dog run panels. Thieves struck at Longdown Activity Farm, in Deerleap Lane, in the early hours of last Thursday, unbolting a unit of three kennels worth £2,500 from the concrete base before discarding the roof in the car park.

I haven’t heard of this type of theft before but all kennel owners need to be aware of this as they all have quite a lot invested in the value of these panels. Obviously this would be a blow for any kennel owner but its also the inconvenience too.

These organised gangs know which kennels are watched over at night and if your kennel is vulnerable or exposed it’s a good idea to up your security.

Obviously these type of panels can be replaced as long as the panels are standard sizes however some of the older kennels would be made to bespoke sizes. If this is the case the cost to replace these metal kennels can be considerable more, possibly as much as 300% higher.

Most theft in kennels concerns the dogs as these are the highest value and the returns are higher. All dog owners invest so much in time and money to get there kennel set up so they need to protect their asset in any way they can. Breeders in particular, have invested many years to improve their dogs and bloodlines and this can easily disappear overnight due to intruders.

We would strongly advise that you look to take the following actions to protect your metal kennels and dogs.

  1. Install some security lighting
  2. Lay gravel on pathways as burglars hate this
  3. Install an alarm system based on movement sensors
  4. Upgrade locks and try to move away from padlocks as these can easily be removed.
  5. Install cctv if you can and make sure this is highlighted with signs
  6. Check you know who you let onto your premises and ask them to bring a form of ID
  7. Cat vegetation and hedges back around the kennel so you have a clear line of sight.
  8. Be careful what you post on social media so don’t make any references to going away on holiday.
  9. Do regular checks on your kennels and dogs and ask neighbours to report any suspicious activity
  10. Try to fit deadlocks and high security locks to all external doors.

We hope that this brief guide will help you to run a secure and safe kennel, lets together try to reduce metal kennels theft. If anyone would like to improve their kennel security then please take a look at our high security kennel solutions.

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