Scary dog questioning - dog theft?

[SBPy]

Hi,

Not sure if this happened to someone before or if I should be worried or not but I was walking my dog last night around 7/8pm and as Goose Green was empty I decided to go to the Rye.

On my way back on East Dulwich Road a man in his thirties (according to him he was 33) questioned me about how much I paid for my dog, how much it is worth, what breed, my age, my profession and if I could "hook him up for a job"... He ended by saying "thank you for your answers"

It was quite scary and being no street-smart at all I tried to get out of it as much as I could. I said that someone gave me the dog and then pretended to go to a shop and as soon as I got out of it the guy was coming back with more questions.

It was a very scary experience and not sure what I could have done being a tiny woman... I guess the police would have no interest in my story at all but was wondering whether it happened to anyone else before?

[Penguin68]

I suspect it may just be someone who is lonely, and may possibly (not by any means necessarily) have some mental health problems. Everything he asked, someone could have asked sitting next to you in a pub (even 'if there were any jobs about') - his closing 'thank you' may well have been genuine. It may have been strange, and even unsettling in solipsistic London, but may very well not actually have been in any way threatening.

[SBPy]

Thank you for your answer. I am new in the area and I am not sure how safe it is as the streets are often empty past 7pm but I guess the latest news in the Rye did play a part on my interpretation!

[Jules-and-Boo]

dog walking is a funny one - I often get stopped and people want to know about my dog.

I think you have to trust your instinct thoughand if something makes you feel unsafe, get away and somewhere with people.

I was warned by the police before that dog thefts were happening where you woudl be followed home and the dog stolen while you were out...that was some time ago but it makes me aware of my surroundings and if I think I'm being followed.

[SBPy]

Thank you Jules, I will definitely keep an eye open and trust my guts! Dog thefts happened in the area then? How do people get away with it when dogs are micro chipped?

[Jules-and-Boo]

sorry - that was when we lived in Brixton and was a while ago.

[muffins78]

I worry about this, people ask me about how much my dog was and I say the dog was a present! I have had cars pull up and one lady saw me on one road as she was driving, and actually stopped the car on another road to ask me about my dog. She seemed friendly and admitted she had driven around to speak to me, but I?m super cautious all the time!! I?d not know how to cope if anything happened to my dog!! :(. I think sometimes you can tell if people are just nattering, but not always!!!

[SBPy]

Yes I totally feel you muffins78! Is your dog quite rare then?

[Penguin68]

Unless it is a rare and expensive breed small dogs are frequently stolen for either ransome or for training fighting dogs. The details being sought are not really relevant in these cases. It may just be genuine interest. Talking about your dog or the weather are acceptable topics for starting conversations. Some people just want to be friendly, something Londoners are uneasy about.

[Sue]

Penguin68 Wrote:

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Some people just want to be

> friendly, something Londoners are uneasy about.

But if you want to be friendly, you don't normally approach a lone woman in the dark.

I would have been freaked out by this too.

[siousxiesue]

Penguin68 Wrote:

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> Unless it is a rare and expensive breed small dogs

> are frequently stolen for either ransome or for

> training fighting dogs. The details being sought

> are not really relevant in these cases. It may

> just be genuine interest. Talking about your dog

> or the weather are acceptable topics for starting

> conversations. Some people just want to be

> friendly, something Londoners are uneasy about.

I'm a lifelong Londoner and no-one I know is freaked out by casual conversation! As already said though, approaching a lone woman in a dark park is dodgy and she should trust her instincts!