Some stolen dogs given as holiday gifts

BOISE-- Stolen from their homes -- little dogs, missing from their backyards.

One Boise couple says it happened to them, and the Ada County Humane Society says they are not alone.

Tis the season right?  The Humane Society says as people start shopping for holiday gifts, some start stealing dogs.

In the past 10 days, six Yorkshire terriers have turned up missing in Ada County -- small dogs that could be worth thousands.

The Humane Society says the theft of one particular dog is unusual, but it's not unusual that small dogs turn up missing.  That’s because they're easy to take and easy to hide. 

Joe Hally and Michala Hayford believe that's what happened to their two Yorkshire terriers who went missing three days ago.

“They have a potty bell and they go to the backyard and we don't let them out for very long, they were let out Tuesday morning about 11 and then five, ten minutes, they were gone," said Hayford.

"Little dogs in particular, people like to steal and so it’s an increased concern for people who have little guys like this that they keep an eye on them and safeguard them," said Dr. Jeff Rosenthal, Humane Society.

Stealing dogs has become such a problem that the Humane Society has installed cameras in the hallways. They had to put them there after people tried to steal dogs from them. And not only is there a problem with theft of small dogs, but also hunting dogs.