- Government announces plans to bring forward a new criminal
offence for pet abduction in Kept Animals Bill
-
People who abduct dogs will face up
to five years in prison, reflecting the emotional distress
caused to both the owner and the dog
-
Today’s announcement makes up part
of the Government’s response to the recommendations of the Pet
Theft Taskforce
A new criminal offence to crack
down on dog theft and put people who steal these much loved pets
behind bars for up to five years has been set out in the
Government’s Kept Animals Bill today (Thursday 18th November).
The dog abduction offence,
announced in September by
Defra, will be added by the Government to the Kept
Animals Bill, bolstering the raft of measures it already includes
to further protect pets, livestock and kept wild animals.
Prior to this new offence, pet
theft was treated as a loss of property to the owner. This new
offence will take into account the emotional distress caused to
both the owner and the dog and will help judges’ ability to hand
down more targeted penalties and sentences for pet thieves. A
provision will also be made in the Bill to extend the offence to
other pets in the future, should evidence support
this.
By introducing this offence,
the Government is following the recommendation of the Pet Theft Taskforce,
launched in May 2021 to tackle a reported rise in pet thefts
during the pandemic. Evidence shows that more than 2,000
incidents of pet theft were reported to the police last year,
causing considerable distress for owners and their pets alike.
For crimes recorded by police in which animals are stolen, around
seven in 10 involve dogs.
Environment Secretary
said:
“The loss of a much-loved pet
causes unique distress. I am pleased that we are legislating to
recognise this specific crime.
“The new dog abduction offence
will reflect the impact on animals in penalties for criminals,
and deliver justice for victims.”
Welcoming the
introduction of the new offence, Chief Veterinary
Officer, Dr Christine
Middlemiss said:
“The recognition of the
distress caused to animals by pet theft is an important step
forward, treating them as sentient beings rather than merely
property.
“The new offence should build
greater awareness of the significant impacts of dog theft on
people and animals, and reassure pet owners that these crimes are
being taken seriously.”
David Bowles, Head of
Public Affairs at the RSPCA, said:
“The theft of a pet is
devastating and we’re pleased the Government has announced these
amendments which we hope will act as a real deterrent to those
who carry out this crime. While the current proposed law applies
to dogs, we are really pleased to see the Government has also
recognised how much other animals mean to people as well, and put
in provision to extend it to other pets. We hope this new
law, which will see sentences up to five years, will help
crackdown on the heart-breaking issue of pet
theft.”
Paula Boyden,
Veterinary Director at Dogs Trust, said:
“Having your beloved pet stolen
is an extremely stressful, often heart-breaking experience. For
years, Dogs Trust has called for harsher penalties to deter those
who profit from this despicable crime. We wholeheartedly welcome
the measures the Government has taken today to tackle pet
theft and prioritise the welfare of our pets as
sentient beings, and very much hope that the increased sentencing
will make pet thieves think twice.”
The RSPCA has warned the public
about the risk of thieves stealing beloved pets. Victims of this
awful crime include French bulldog, Minnie, who was found badly
injured and abandoned late at night in Burnley. RSPCA officers
scanned her microchip and discovered she belonged to a family who
lived 170 miles away in Gloucestershire. Minnie was reported as
missing back in March 2020 after being taken from her owner’s
garden. She is now back at home with her family.
The police advises that dog
owners should avoid leaving their pet unattended while out in
public, vary their routines when walking their dogs and take
basic security steps at home such as checking locks on doors and
garden gates.
The new measures form part of
the commitment to strengthen the UK’s position as a global leader
in animal welfare standards. Since 2010, the Government has
brought in mandatory microchipping for dogs to help reunite lost
dogs with their owners, introduced additional protection for
service animals through ‘Finn’s Law’, and
introduced Lucy’s Law to tackle
puppy farming by banning the commercial third-party sales of
puppies and kittens.
The Kept Animals Bill can be
found here.
Today’s announcement builds on
the UK Government’s commitment to revolutionise the treatment of
animals in the UK and introduce measures to protect the welfare
of animals abroad, as set out in the Action Plan for Animal
Welfare.
