One man is asking people to be on alert for scams when they are out walking their pets.

Steven O'Riordan was waiting at traffic lights in the Dublin 9 area on Monday with Molly, his Hungarian Vizsla dog, when a man came up to him looking for help.

At the same time, another person came behind him to unhook Molly from her lead to steal her.

Mr O'Riordan told Lunchtime Live the first man was a distraction tactic.

"I was waiting there and just somebody out of my right-hand side came over to me and started calling out, 'Help, I need help'," he said.

"I was leaning over to try and hear and see what the individual was saying.

"They were showing me their phone and I was trying to look at their phone".

A Hungarian Vizsla dog in May 2019. Picture by: bootsie / Stockimo / Alamy Stock Photo

Mr O'Riordan said as he was giving his attention to this person, something else was going on.

"At the same time I had my left-hand at the lower end of the leash, so I obviously moved that up along to lean over," he said.

"As I leaned over to the right, I must have let my left hand free - which allowed a person on my left to come right behind me and essentially take the collar off the dog and try to grab the dog".

Mr O'Riordan said a woman stopped her car to alert him to the situation.

"Luckily Molly did bolt to run away, but the difficulty was she went out into the traffic," he said.

"It was only because a woman got out of her car and started shouting that they're trying to rob the dog that I realised that it was actually my dog that this was happening to and I was the person that she was shouting out".

'Horrific experience'

Mr O'Riordan said he was 'completely shocked' at what had happened.

"My legs went from under me," he said.

"It happened so quickly and I obviously bought into this idea that this individual was needing assistance or required help.

"I was trying to pay him attention and then obviously trying to keep the dog where she was.

"A good day just turned into an absolutely horrific experience".

Mr O'Riordan said this never would have entered his mind while out walking.

"I'm aware that a Hungarian Vizsla is an incredibly wanted dog... and obviously much-loved of course by dog owners.

"I just wouldn't have had that in my mind walking around," he added.

Molly is now home safe and sound.

Main image: Hungarian Vizsla Molly. Picture via @StevenOR_ on Twitter