# Beware!!!



## PipE (Aug 4, 2011)

Hi All,
I wanted to post a warning to everyone to be on the look out for strange people!
Last week, while I was at work, Stu (Hubby) took Cameron, our 10 year old, and Kipper into town (Fleet) to get a few bits from Sainburys.
Cameron waited outside with Kipper while Stu popped in.
When Stu came out there was a lady sat on the bench next to Cameron. She was asking all sorts of questions about Kipper, including who her breeder was, how old etc etc. She said she had an elderly Collie and was looking around at other breeds to see what she might get when she lost her dog.
Anyway, when she had gone, Cameron told Stu that she had said to him 'I'd really like to know more about your dog and her breeder, If I hold the dog will you go into Sainsburys and get your Dad so that I can ask him about her??'
Well, Thank goodness Cameron had the presence of mind and said 'Would you mind if I didn't?'
She may well have been a genuine, kind, interested lady but It makes my blood run cold when I think how close we probably came to losing her.
And, as Ian and Helen (Rubycockapoo) have said to us, how useful it would've been in her selling on to have had all that breeder info.
Not only that, was Cameron in danger too? I thought that at 10 1/2 he is old enough to wait outside a shop, but now it makes me shudder to think that he might have been conned so easily.
I've tried not to frighten him about it but I have told him how proud we are of him and that if ever anything like that happens again, he should take Kipper to the door of the shop and ask for help from a staff member.

Anyway, sorry for the long post but I thought you should all know. 
I will NEVER leave Kipper tied up anywhere on her own as I may have done when she's older.

Pip X


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## Sezra (May 20, 2011)

Thank you for the warning! How scary for you! What a sensible boy Cameron is, you must be very proud of him.

To think that someone would do that to a child to try and steal a dog. I will be speaking to my kids about this just incase.

Like you say it could have been innocent but it doesn't sound like it, otherwise she would have just waited until your husband returned. 

Thank you for sharing and hugs to you all for having to deal with such a scary event. :hug:

x


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## wellerfeller (Jul 12, 2011)

Thank god you have such a savvy 10 year old. I still see people leaving their dogs unattended outside shops and it always scares me.
I am glad everone is ok


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## Ali79 (Mar 30, 2011)

Really pleased that Cameron had the sense not to let the woman take Kipper. I work at a DVD rental shop on a Monday evening and a young man comes in every week and leaves his lovely greyhound tied up outside howling so every week I make him go outside and get her as we allow dogs in (Beau has even come to work with me before). I keep telling him that someone could take her but all he says is that he ties her up wherever he goes and it has never been a problem!!!


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## lady amanda (Nov 26, 2010)

Thank goodness! smart kid!!! and you are right to be darn proud of him. in Toronto just this week. a 14 year old girl was walking her dog, and a man approached her, took the dog and ran, the girl was unharmed....but obviously upset....the police found the man who kidnaped the dog, and the dog thankfully was returned to the family.


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## kendal (Jul 16, 2009)

Very scare. glad he didnt leave kipper with her. 

any time i have left my niw 8 year old brother outside with the girls i leave him with my dog whistle and tell him if anyone tries to take him or the.dogs he is to blow it az hard as he can. just becuae thats what my mun did with us when she took us out whe. we were wee. she said if we last her we were to blow oir whistles.


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## MillieDog (Jun 1, 2011)

Smart kid. I don't think you've worried him, just made he proud to be so sensible and grown up. What a shame there are dodgy people out.


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## wilfiboy (Sep 18, 2010)

Phew clever boy, its hard for adults to be assertive in certain situations never mind a child who possibly thinks that they should do as the adult suggests. We all have people asking about our dogs all the time but very irresponsible of the woman to ask him to do such a thing, whena fter all she knew your husband would nt be long. I hope her motives were nt mailicous and just very misguided. Good boy Cameron x


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## Jedicrazy (Apr 26, 2011)

Well done Cameron, handled very maturely for a 10 year old and what a relief all is ok.


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## PipE (Aug 4, 2011)

Thanks so much everyone for your kind comments. And Kendal, that's a brilliant idea about the whistle! 
Pip X


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## DONNA (Jan 7, 2011)

That does sound very strange,if she was really interested she would of waited for you?

Must say i left my 10 year old outside birds bakery with Buddy,i could see them as it has big windows anyway a very strange looking man approached her ,he glanced in the window and saw me looking at him and went off ,i quickly paid and went out and asked her what he was saying he was talking about the dog but asking Mia where she lived!! anyway she didnt tell him,however it scared me enough that i will not leave her alone outside a shop again.


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## designsbyisis (Dec 27, 2011)

Its so sad that there are people in society that would do that. Any genuine person would have waited for your husband. I have an 11 year old & its so hard to get the balance right between educating them about danger & not worrying them. I also don't want them to feel worried about talking to 'new' people & don't want him to live his life being suspicious - such a fine line.

Good for Cameron though - & thanks for sharing. I will tell my son as its likely I would have asked him to wait while I popped into the local shop or library etc once Dexter is older. Probably not worth the risk........but how sad a reflection on society


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## Greenleys19 (Aug 30, 2011)

Oh Pip that makes me feel sick! There's some weird people around aren't they. I've left Beth before outside shops with our two whilst I've whizzed in. I'll think twice now. Thanks for the post, and well done Cameron


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## Sezra (May 20, 2011)

DONNA said:


> That does sound very strange,if she was really interested she would of waited for you?
> 
> Must say i left my 10 year old outside birds bakery with Buddy,i could see them as it has big windows anyway a very strange looking man approached her ,he glanced in the window and saw me looking at him and went off ,i quickly paid and went out and asked her what he was saying he was talking about the dog but asking Mia where she lived!! anyway she didnt tell him,however it scared me enough that i will not leave her alone outside a shop again.


Donna, that is really scary  what a shame we have to be so wary of this sort of thing. xx


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## NellyBean (Nov 23, 2011)

It truly saddens me, how we have to be so caucious of others in our lives! My 10.5 year old has loved taking Hope for walks around our neighbourhood on his own, but this has made me rethink what danger I may be putting my son in, from undesirables considering how much our dog may sell for on the internet 

Thank you for sharing your experience as I am sure it has alerted many others including myself that we no longer live in a society where people don't have to constantly look over their shoulders xxx


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## DONNA (Jan 7, 2011)

I think what it made me think about was that its a good excuse for a stranger to talk to children when they have a dog with them and no adult.And the child is more likely to talk to a stranger.


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## lady amanda (Nov 26, 2010)

I have been told by police trainers, who train kids so that they are not abducted, tell your kids to make lots and lots of noise....no matter what scream, blow a whistle....make a scene. more times than not....this will scare the person away. also kids are smart, so teach them to only give personal information to police. it is a strange world, with not good people in it. but I would hate for us and kids to all walk around scared. just be smart.


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## DB1 (Jan 20, 2012)

Thanks for sharing this with us, I have an 11 year old son and have told him about it, I'll definitely think twice now about leaving him with the pup when he can go out. I had already told him I don't want him taking Dudley out on his own (which he hoped to do) until they are both older, as I was worrying about other non friendly dogs and how he would handle the situation, but I see there are other things to worry about too.


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