The Oscar Mayer Wienermobile is back on the road after thieves stole its catalytic converter outside a motel in Las Vegas.

According to FOX5 Vegas, Joseph Rodriguez of a local Penske Truck shop told the news outlet that the truck had been targeted. The Oscar Mayer Wienermobile was making four stops in Las Vegas Valley when the incident occurred. Rodriguez's team helped the truck's crew out of a pickle by temporarily patching the exhaust so it could carry on its four-stop tour of Las Vegas.

Rodriguez didn't say so, but we're sure his team set about the task of repairing the 27-foot Weiner on wheels with relish.

Catalytic converter thefts have become a scourge across the USA, but by targeting the beloved Wienermobile, these thieves have shown that, frankly, they are the wurst. Hopefully, sooner or later, they meet an appropriate fate.

Cat thefts have skyrocketed along with the value of the precious metals used in catalytic converters, although the value rarely outweighs the cost of replacing a catalytic converter. The converters are stolen and then sold to shady scrap yards, who then sell the precious metals.

It has become a whole new illicit industry that police and lawmakers have to play ketchup.

There are six Wienermobiles in operation across the US, and the driver is called the Hotdogger. The first one was purpose-built in 1936, but the most modern Wienermobiles have been based on RAM and GMC trucks, and even a Mini Cooper Hardtop.

Bad puns aside, the issue of catalytic converter theft is serious and hard to take precautions against. There are ways of making it harder for thieves to remove converters by having brackets or chains welded to the unit, but the thieves are simply cutting the converter out.

An unprotected converter takes seconds for them to remove, and the first clue people generally have that something is wrong is a thunderous exhaust and a horrible smell. Unfortunately, the most secure protection against catalytic convertor theft is keeping the car garaged.