Extract from Business Questions: Pet Theft - Mar 25
Friday, 26 March 2021 07:59
Selaine Saxby (North Devon) (Con): Like my hon. Friend the Member
for Ipswich (Tom Hunt), our excellent Devon and Cornwall Police and
crime commissioner, Alison Hernandez, is concerned about the
growing issue of pet theft. In Devon and Cornwall there are, on
average, 80 dog thefts a year, a quarter of which are linked to
organised crime, yet no one has received the maximum sentence of
only seven years. Will my right hon. Friend allocate Government
time to debate how to tackle the issue of pet...Request free trial
(North Devon) (Con): Like my hon. Friend the
Member for Ipswich (), our excellent Devon and Cornwall Police
and crime commissioner, , is concerned about the growing issue of pet theft.
In Devon and Cornwall there are, on average, 80 dog thefts a year,
a quarter of which are linked to organised crime, yet no one has
received the maximum sentence of only seven years. Will my right
hon. Friend allocate Government time to debate how to tackle the
issue of pet theft and ensure that the punishment reflects the
crime? The loss of a loved pet—a member of the family—is far more
than mere theft.
Mr Rees-Mogg: As I said to my hon. Friend the
Member for Ipswich (), this is a terrible crime, and the Government are taking
measures to help tackle it better, with more than 6,600 additional
police officers. I join my hon. Friend in thanking for her terrific work as police and crime
commissioner, and for highlighting this important issue. It is
worth adding to my earlier remarks, that if someone causes an
animal to suffer in the course of stealing it from its owner, they
are liable for prosecution under the Animal Welfare Act 2006. The
Animal Welfare (Sentencing) Bill is currently in the House of
Lords. If passed, it will increase the maximum penalty for such a
crime to five years, which would be the highest penalty for animal
cruelty in Europe. There is the risk of seven years in prison for
pet theft, and five years for cruelty to animals. The penalties are
there—or will be if the House of Lords obliges—and this is a
question of enforcement and catching wrongdoers. That is where the
extra 6,600 police will help.
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