What does dognapper mean?
A dognapper is a person who steals a dog, particularly one kept as a companion animal. The term is a playful but firmly established blend: it takes the familiar noun kidnapper and replaces its first element with dog, producing a coinage that mirrors other humorous formations of this kind. Dognappers typically target pedigree breeds that can be resold at high prices, which is why the word appears so often in news reports about stolen puppies or missing family pets. It carries an unambiguously criminal connotation, yet its tone is slightly less grave than kidnapping because it refers to property and animals rather than people. Related forms include the verb dognap and the gerund/noun dognapping. The word is understood throughout the English-speaking world and is especially common in Britain and North America.
nounA person who steals a dog, especially one kept as a pet.
- A person who steals a dog, especially a pet dog.
"Police warned owners to keep their dogs on a leash after a dognapper struck in the neighbourhood twice in one week."
"A suspected dognapper was arrested after the stolen French bulldog was spotted in his car window."
"Local vets now microchip every puppy free of charge, hoping to make life harder for any would-be dognapper."
Regular plural; used when referring to multiple offenders or the phenomenon generally.
"Dognappers often target expensive pedigree breeds."
The word dognapper was formed by swapping the 'kid' out of kidnapper — proof that even English speakers will bend a word to fit a beloved pet.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of dognapper
Dognapper is a modern English formation, created by substituting dog for kid in the older word kidnapper, which dates from the late 17th century. Kidnap itself originally referred to stealing children — literally 'napping kids' — before it widened to mean seizing anyone by force. The blend dognap/dognapper emerged in the 19th century as dog theft became a recognised crime, and both forms are still current today.
Related word forms
How dognapper is actually used
Informal to neutral in register; common in news reporting and everyday speech. The verb form is dognap (past tense dognapped).
Easily confused with dognapper
A kidnapper abducts a person, whereas a dognapper steals a dog.