We used to live in an open village where there is no gate and no guards. Aside from thievery, another major problem is the poisoning of dogs which are loose in the yard. But before that issue, it is a given that stray dogs were being snatched so a stray dog in that area was kind of rare. With the dogs in the yard, the poisoning is prevalent so the dog owners would tie their dogs farther from the gate or keep the dog inside their house.
The local community police had arrested some culprits who admitted to the crime. And the reason is they would wait for the owner to discover the dead dog and they will offer their help to bury the dog but in truth they will butcher the dog. The poison used is the simple MSG. Yes, that monosodium glutamate is mixed with pate or any food that is sticky and attractive to the dog. Just a tablespoon of MSG would kill a dog. And since the dead dog is clean, the culprits are aching to butcher it. Another angle is the thievery. When the dog is dead, there's no more barking when a stranger appears. So the moral lesson is not to let loose the dogs outside the house if unattended.