A New Yorker Talk of the Town piece investigates a fear that's been plaguing Upper West Side dogowners: Dognappers who prey upon beloved pooches (especially petite ones) in hopes of a payday. One dog owner explains, according to lore, "There's a two-man team, with one in a gray hoodie on a bicycle who comes by and slices the leash with a razor, then goes away with the dog. The other guy calls you up later on and says, 'Hey, I found your dog! What's it worth to you?'" While others have heard about this team and their dastardly M.O., even heeding advice like, "Don't leave your dog outside Starbucks. And don't use leashes that people can slice through," and keeping a careful eye out for bicyclists, the police at the 12th Precinct say there have been no dognapping reports in the past few weeks. A Brooklyn College poli-sci professor tries to explain the paranoia through the lens of the financial crisis, "A small dog creates a tremendous amount of emotional attachment, but at the same time it is a luxury item--and that's being taken away."