Rotorua dogs are being stolen either to be used as bait in dog fighting rings or to sell for a quick buck, according to the Rotorua SPCA.
Manager Eve Johnson said they had reports of dogs being taken during the day while owners were at work.
Staff had heard of cases where properties are scouted and marked then the dog was snatched. She said while it might seem like an urban myth, the dog snatching was believed to be going on locally. There had also been reports of people going around neighbourhoods at night "whistling" to see whether dogs responded before going back to take them when nobody was home.
Mrs Johnson said there were four reported thefts last week, and probably more that weren't reported.
She said in one case the owner offered a reward and the dog miraculously reappeared.