sirius as animagus - why didn't the deatheaters know pre OOP?

[kiricat2001]

No: HPFGUIDX 93870

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "potioncat" <willsonkmom at m...> 
wrote:

> --James, Sirius, and Peter didn't let the Order know about being 
> animagi either.

Marianne:
Which I think is a point with as much interest as when the DEs 
finally found out.  What seems odd is that since the original Order 
was very out-gunned, it would seem to me that letting Dumbledore know 
of an additional power that three of the Order's members had - being 
Animagi - could have aided the Order in their fight.  I doubt that, 
had Dumbledore known, that he would have insisted the three be good, 
upstanding citizens and rush right down to the Ministry and 
register.  Rather, I think Dumbledore wouldn't have thought twice 
about telling J,P, and S to not tell anyone else, and to put their 
abilities to use.  Okay, maybe Stag!James would have been a bit 
obvious trotting around the middle of town, but a stray dog or a 
scurrying rat - now those were disguises that would allow two Order 
members to travel fairly unnoticed.

So, why wasn't Dumbledore told?

Marianne