Whoa! Can it be true that your dogies are not safe? Alas, it’s true – there’s cattle rustlin’ goin’ on.

If you be thinking about stealing cattle, you best know it is a small community and when they feel something is fishy they protect their own. And I don’t mean just with 12-guage shotguns, either. As reported in stateimpact.npr.org.

Ranchers saw a sharp jump in cattle rustling last year in Texas and Oklahoma. Over 10,000 cows and horses were reported missing or stolen. That’s an almost 40 percent increase from the year before. It’s a trend that’s surprised some in law enforcement.

With theft up it is especially surprising since the drought ravaged herds in 2011- there’s simply less and less Texas cattle to steal.

I would have expected a downturn in cattle theft because these ranchers are watching so close to what they have with the downsizing of the herd, it’s a little easier to track.

He might have had another reason to expect a decline in thefts: Penalties against rustlers were toughened by Texas lawmakers in 2009. Now, the crime could put you in prison for up to 10 years. But ironically more and more cattle have gone missing or stolen since that law was passed.

Hopefully, harsher penalties and computer based stop theft/shoplifting classes will help keep cattle safe and beef prices down.