50 Hilarious Times Pets Didn’t Get Away With Stealing Food (New Pics)

It doesn’t matter if you own a big hound or a fluffy little tabby, you know how persuasive animals can be when they smell a tasty snack. From wagging tails to piercing gazes, they have plenty of weapons at their disposal to convince us to give them a bite.

And if all fails, some are determined enough to try out the last option — stealing!

We at We put together a new collection of amusing photographic evidence, showcasing shameless pet thieves in the middle of their crimes. I wonder what excuse they would give to a judge.

Continue scrolling to check out the images and don’t miss the chat we had with Alison Schramel, CPDT-KA Animal Behavior and Training Manager for one of the leading animal welfare organizations in the US, Animal Humane Society (AHS).

#1 My Large Icy Was Full When I Went In The Store For 2 Minutes

#2 I Was Trying To Take A Photo Of The Cake I Baked Until Someone Snuck Up On Me

When you spend so much time cooking mouth-watering food, it’s pretty normal for your pet to want to nibble on it too.

“Simply put, animals do what works for them. In their eyes, they are eating food that is available to them and don’t understand what belongs to them versus their human roommates,” Alison Schramel of AHS told We. “Food is a valuable resource for animals, especially if they don’t know when their next meal will be available to them.”

“It’s important to keep food out of reach for animals so they don’t eat things that will make them ill, such as a loaf of bread left on the counter or chocolate candy on a coffee table.”

#3 Someone Left The Peanut Butter On The Counter

#4 Someone Liked The Taste Of Butter Chicken

#5 Of All The Dogs I’ve Ever Had, He’s The Worst One

Plus, it doesn’t mean that our pets automatically fail even when they walk away after the mission empty-pawed. Maybe the attention they receive during the whole thing is a sufficient reward in and of itself?

Who hasn’t reacted to their pet trying to steal food by taking them into our arms and suggesting the ball instead? Even if we reprimand the rascals, we are paying attention to them, and that could give them a good reason to keep at it.

#6 When You Leave The Yogurt Unattended

#7 My Dad Says He Can Never Eat Anything In Peace

#8 My Dog, Aspen, Always Grabs Things Out Of The Pantry And Brings Them To Us With This Face

However, if we want the crimes to stop, Schramel suggested that we, first and foremost, keep all food items out of reach of any animals in our home.

“Remember to keep purses up and out of reach that may have gum or other snacks in them,” she added. “If you want an extra layer of management, you can gate your kitchen off as well.”

#9 I Found My Dog’s Butter Stash This Morning, Buried In Her Bed. She Doesn’t Want To Talk About It

#10 The Cat Was Mad We Weren’t Home To Feed Her Dinner. So She Got Back At Us By Ripping Apart A Pack Of Bagels And Taking A Tiny Bite Out Of Each One

#11 My Mom’s Mini-Horse Got Into The House And Stole A Banana

We might need to address some of our habits as well. “Keep an eye on where kids leave snacks or drinks,” Schramel said.

“If you have guests over, it may be easiest to keep your pets in a closed bedroom or other location where you don’t need to keep an eye on them.”

Also, keep in mind that a lack of physical and mental stimulation can lead to many behavioral problems in pets, including stealing food.

#12 Cute Noodle Stealing A Noodle

#13 Kitten And Coffee

#14 Yesterday I Rescued This Kitten From A Cruel Life As A Stray, Today He Shamelessly Stole My Son’s Lunch. I’ve Taken In A Criminal

According to Schramel, toxic foods we must avoid giving to our pets include grapes, raisins, onions, chocolate, garlic, alcohol, and avocados.

The animal behavior and training manager said other foods to look out for are:

BBQ Bones. They can easily chip into small pieces that quickly become choking hazards, and cooking can also remove the nutrients from the bones. Note: Corn on the cob can also be a similar choking hazard!

Processed or Fatty Meats. Too many snacks like processed or fatty meats can cause gastrointestinal upset or pancreatitis.

#15 You Can Take The Kitty Out Of The Dumpster, But You Can’t Take The Dumpster Out Of The Kitty

#16 I Left My Food Unattended For 2 Minutes, And My Cat Fell Asleep While Eating It

#17 Climbed Up The Handles To Eat Cheese While I’m Cutting It

Further down the list are:

Ice cream. The amount of sugar in ice cream is too high for this to be a good snack option for your four-legged friend, and some animals may experience lactose intolerance.

Fatty mayonnaise-based foods: Too many fatty foods can cause GI upset or put them at risk of developing pancreatitis.

Nuts. Can cause vomiting, diarrhea, and pancreatitis

Salty snacks. Causes excessive thirst and sodium poisoning.

#18 Spaghetti Thief

#19 Can I Have Some?

#20 I Caught Him Stealing A Slice Of Beef Cheek On The Taco Night

For more mischievous pet thieves, fire up our earlier picture collections here and here.

But remember, the best way to deal with the problem of our pets stealing food is not to let it develop in the first place.

And if it does happen, it’s in your (and the animal’s) best interest to put an end to it.

#21 He Stole A Stale Baguette I Was Saving To Make Breadcrumbs And He’s Been Carrying It Around For Three Days

#22 I Spent An Entire Day Baking Challah Bread, Only To Have It Stolen

#23 My Parent’s Great Dane Stole The Coffee Mate

#24 Trying To Sneak A Steak Bite

#25 Every Single Night. Doesn’t Matter What’s For Dinner

#26 I Just Want To Taste It

#27 Lettuce-Stealing Little Thief

#28 Pizza Thief Caught In The Act

#29 I Heard A Noise In The Pantry. This Fool Was In There Eating A Bag Of Raw Flour And Is Now Shocked That His Mouth Is Full Of Dough

#30 Let Me Introduce You To The Freak Living In My Flat – Jax. I Caught Him Licking Our Sauce

#31 Not An Ounce Of Remorse

#32 “Put Them On A Raw Meat Diet.” They Said. This Carb-Craving Criminal Pulled The Bagels Out Of The Cupboard

#33 He Stole A Cheeseburger And Just Had It Sitting In His Mouth

#34 Smokes Stole A Pringle

#35 Pretended He Was Sleeping, Then Slowly Moved Towards The Food

#36 She Looks Guilty

#37 My 15-Year-Old Deaf Cocker Spaniel Thought He Was Being Sneaky Loudly Stealing Chips When The Kids Left The Pantry Open

#38 Meet Harold, The Reason We Now Close Jars Of Pasta Sauce When We Recycle Them

#39 The Art And The Artist

#40 My Puppy Decided He Also Wanted A Piece Of My Mom’s Birthday Cake

#41 I’m Just Trying To Peacefully Eat My Breakfast

#42 I Turned My Back For 10 Seconds

#43 Every Morning, I Feed The Dog Outside So The Cats Don’t Bother Her. Today I Was Not Fast Enough, So She Picked Out Something To Eat And Waited By The Door