Short answer: Yes, a private eye can help find a stolen dog or cat. In Tennessee, pets are legally treated as personal property, so taking someone's pet can be theft, but police often have limited time for these cases. A private detective agency works the case like any other property recovery: canvassing the area for cameras and witnesses, monitoring online sale and rehoming listings, running down microchip and registration leads, identifying the person who took the animal, and documenting evidence that supports a police report or a civil claim. Speed matters, because stolen pets are frequently resold, rehomed, or moved out of the area within days.
Last updated October 2026 · Pinnacle Private Investigations, Nashville
Key takeaways
Treat a missing pet that may have been taken as a possible theft from the first day. Report it to police and get a report number.
Make sure your pet's microchip is registered to you with current contact information, and alert the registry.
Neighborhood cameras, doorbell video, and business surveillance are often overwritten within days. Request footage immediately.
Watch online marketplaces, rehoming groups, and breed-specific forums. Stolen pets often reappear for sale with new names.
Beware of reward scams. Never pay anyone who cannot prove they have your pet.
How do pets get stolen?
Opportunistic theft from yards, porches, and cars, especially of small or popular breeds with resale value.
Breakups and family disputes in which an ex-partner or relative takes a pet they consider theirs.
"Finders" who keep the pet instead of turning it in to a shelter or checking for a microchip.
Rehoming fraud, in which someone takes a pet under false pretenses and resells it.
Theft for breeding, particularly with intact purebred animals.
Neighbor disputes, where a neighbor takes a pet they consider a nuisance.
What should you do in the first 24 to 48 hours?
Search immediately and widely. Many missing pets are simply lost. Walk the neighborhood, call out, and check hiding spots.
Contact shelters and animal control in your county and neighboring counties, and visit in person if you can.
Alert your microchip registry and confirm your contact information is current.
File a police report if you believe the pet was taken, and keep the report number.
Request camera footage from neighbors and nearby businesses before it is overwritten.
Post on neighborhood and lost-pet platforms with clear photos, but hold back one identifying detail you can use to verify anyone who claims to have your pet.
Gather proof of ownership: adoption or purchase records, vet records, microchip registration, licenses, and photos of you with the pet.
How does a private eye find a stolen pet?
Area canvass and video recovery
A private eye canvasses the area where the pet disappeared, identifies cameras that may have captured the theft, and secures footage. Video often shows a vehicle, a plate, or a person, which turns a vague loss into a lead.
Online monitoring
Stolen pets frequently appear on online marketplaces, social media rehoming groups, and classified sites, sometimes within hours. A private detective agency monitors these channels for your pet's description, coat markings, and photos, and documents any listing that matches.
Identifying the person responsible
Plates, phone numbers from listings, usernames, and witness descriptions can be run down through lawful records research to identify who has the pet and where they live.
Verification and recovery planning
Once your pet is located, a private eye documents the animal's presence through lawful observation and photographs from public places, then works with you, your attorney, and law enforcement on recovery. Private eyes do not trespass or seize property themselves.
Evidence for legal action
A detailed report with timeline, photos, video, listings, and ownership proof supports a police case and, if necessary, a civil action for return of the animal.
What if an ex-partner took the pet?
Pet disputes after breakups are common. Tennessee courts generally treat pets as property, so ownership evidence matters: who adopted or bought the animal, whose name is on the vet records and microchip, and who paid for care. A private eye can confirm where the pet is being kept and document its condition, and your attorney can pursue return through negotiation or the courts. In divorce, pets are typically handled as part of the property division.
How do lost pet scams work?
A caller claims to have your pet but asks for a reward up front, often by payment app or gift card.
A caller asks you to read back a verification code sent to your phone. This is an account takeover scam.
Someone claims your pet was injured and needs urgent payment for a vet you have never heard of.
Never pay before you see and verify your pet in person, in a safe public place, and ask a private eye or police to help with any exchange.
Frequently asked questions
Is stealing a dog a crime in Tennessee?
Pets are treated as personal property under Tennessee law, so knowingly taking someone's pet without consent can be prosecuted as theft. The seriousness generally depends on the animal's value and the circumstances.
Will the police look for my stolen pet?
Police take reports and may act when they have strong leads, but they often have limited resources for pet cases. A private eye can develop the leads that make police action possible.
Can a microchip prove my pet is mine?
A microchip registered in your name is strong evidence of ownership, especially combined with vet records and purchase or adoption papers. Keep the registration current.
What if someone bought my stolen pet?
A buyer may not know the pet was stolen. Your ownership evidence, police report, and documentation of the theft help establish your claim. Your attorney can advise on recovery options.
How much does it cost to hire a private eye for a stolen pet?
It depends on how much canvassing, monitoring, and field work is needed. A focused search in the first days is usually the most effective and least expensive.
Does Pinnacle handle cases outside Nashville?
Yes, across Tennessee. See our general services and surveillance.
Bring your pet home
Pinnacle Private Investigations is a Tennessee private detective agency that takes pet theft seriously, because our clients do. Contact us or call 615-977-9929 as soon as you suspect your pet was taken.