noun
- the act of stealing a pet animal, typically a dog or cat, often for ransom or resale
Usage: informal; formed by analogy with 'kidnapping'
Examples
- The rise in petnapping has prompted pet owners to microchip their animals.
- Police are investigating a series of petnapping incidents in the neighborhood.
- She was devastated when her golden retriever became a victim of petnapping.
- Petnapping rings often target expensive purebred dogs.
- Installing security cameras helped deter petnapping attempts in the area.