Are People Actually Stealing Prairie Dogs From Lubbock Parks?

A recent Facebook post by a concerned Lubbock resident caught my eye. He gave details of a strange encounter he had with alleged prairie dog snatchers.

"So, there I am at a park in North Lubbock, longboarding with my dog. Like many parks in North Lubbock, this one has a prolific prairie dog population. I look in one of the fields, and there's a white truck with a trailer that has some unidentifiable machinery on it. One guy is out of the truck looking down the prairie dog holes while another idles the truck front. I guessed that maybe they're part of some low-budget department from TTU or the city."

What happened next what not at all what he expected:

"I watched them for a few minutes and just had to know. I go up and ask the guy walking behind the trailer, 'Y'all just checking up on the prairie dogs?' The man, who I realize has no department logo on his shirt, reaches his index finger up to his mouth to make the hush face and says, 'we're catching them.' I nodded and walked away, shocked. I've wrestled with this thought for the last two weeks. I'm not narcing but not exactly staying hush-hush. I'm bringing awareness to the community of a black market prairie dog ring that exists right under our noses."

Get our free mobile app

Are there people out there that actually steal and sell prairie dogs? Everything I've learned about prairie dogs has taught me that they actually make really terrible pets. I knew someone that tried to keep one as a pet and it was an absolute disaster. What's going on here?

If you've seen something like this happening in a Lubbock park, we'd like to know about it. Comment on our Facebook page.