An animal charity has reported an increase in the number of dogs going missing across Bahrain.

It is feared the disappearances could be linked to illegal dog fighting as pets, particularly smaller ones, are believed to be used as bait during the fights, said a report in the Gulf Daily News (GDN), our sister publication.

"We have seen an increase in the missing dog situation on the island, especially small fluffy breeds, but we cannot directly link this to the popular thought that they are being used to bait fighting dogs," said Bahrain Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (BSPCA) spokeswoman Joyce Hughes.

"However, we are aware that the fighting rings are on the increase and this may have impacted the demand for bait dogs.

"We urge the public to be more vigilant with their pets, nobody would like to think of their pets being used to bait fighting dogs, the thought of that is just unbearable."

Distraught pet owners whose dogs have disappeared have been using social networking sites, such as Facebook, to appeal to the public for information about their lost pets.

The Facebook group, Lost, Stolen and Found Pets in Bahrain, has been inundated with dog owners trying to find their pets, many of which have gone missing in the last month.

They include Fatima Shafea, from Mahooz, who is offering a BD100 ($264) reward for help in tracking down her one-year-old beloved pet, Mutley, who went missing from her home near King Hamad University Hospital four weeks ago.

"Losing my dog and not knowing what has happened to him has been very traumatic," said Shafea.

Desperate

"I have been looking for him everywhere and making posters. I have had lots of calls but it's so disappointing when it turns out not to be my dog.

"I have also found another dog in the process of searching for Mutley and reunited it with their owner, but I am desperate to find him."

A reward is also being offered to help track down missing male Husky, Kuba, who went missing from Adliya earlier this month.

Last February, the GDN revealed how the authorities were investigating a spate of animal thefts, believed to be linked to an organised dognapping gang. - TradeArabia News Service