Plans for a change in the law to introduce tougher penalties for
pet theft have taken another step forward.
Scottish Conservative MP has campaigned to amend
existing legislation to recognise the status and importance that
pets have within families.
At present, pets are treated as possessions and no different from
any other inanimate object that is stolen, such as a TV or a car.
The MP for Aberdeen South proposed a ten-minute rule bill to
parliament in July amend the Animal Welfare Act 2006 and the
Animal Health and Welfare (Scotland) Act 2006 to make the theft
of a protected animal a specific offence.
The bill has now been printed, after reaching its second reading
in October. It will now pass to the committee stage, at which MPs
will examine the amended bill line-by-line and table any
suggested changes, before It goes to the third reading before it
can become law.
Mr Thomson has won cross-party backing for his bill, which has
also been supported by leading animal welfare charities.
The north-east MP has campaigned previously on animal welfare
issues, successfully persuading the UK Government’s Department of
Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) to look at changes to
laws around the use of electric shock collars.
, Scottish Conservative MP for
Aberdeen South, said:
“The loss of an animal can have a real and lasting impact on
people’s lives.
“That’s why I want to see the law tightened up to make pet theft
a serious, criminal and punishable offence that recognises the
status and importance of these animals to families.
“That means amending existing laws to make the theft of pets an
offence in its own right.
“The response so far has been fantastic, from MP colleagues from
across the chamber as well as animal welfare campaigners.
“It is great to see the amended bill in print, and I look forward
to this reaching the next stage in the parliamentary process.
“I think there is clear public support for this and I hope we can
deliver these changes as soon as possible.”
Ends
Notes to Editors
has campaigned to have the law
around pet theft changed
https://www.politicshome.com/news/uk/environment/opinion/house-commons/96507/ross-thomson-mp-rising-number-pet-thieves-across
https://www.scotsman.com/news/tory-mp-calls-for-stronger-sentencing-guidelines-for-pet-thefts-1-4762638
See attached for copy of the amended bill (draft)
