Bringing the dognappers to heel
PET abduction will be made a criminal offence under Government plans to crackdown on dognappers.
Ministers want to change the law so it reflects the severity of the crimes carried out by pet thieves by taking into account the emotional distress it can cause the animal and acknowledging they represent far more than just property to their owners.
The proposal is one of a number of recommendations made in a report setting out the findings of work by the Government’s pet theft taskforce, which was set up in response to a rise in such offences during the coronavirus pandemic and amid pressure from MPs across the Commons to impose tougher penalties.
It is hoped the plans will help police crackdown on criminals, make it easier for officers to track such incidents and make it harder for thieves to steal and sell pets.
The report said: “There is growing public feeling that criminal law and the sentencing for offences involving the theft of pets do not sufficiently recognise an animal as something more than mere property.
Pet theft is not a specific crime and is currently considered as a loss of property to owners under the Theft Act 1968.
The new offence would recognise animal companions as sentient beings.