Dog and cat thieves to face 5 years in jail in bid to sort out pet thefts

Dog and cat thieves will resist 5 years in jail below a brand new legislation to sort out pet thefts.

The Pet Abduction Bill, put ahead by Tory MP Anna Firth, handed it first Commons hurdle on Friday.

Two new felony offences of canine abduction and cat abduction could be created below the laws, with offenders going through a most jail sentence of 5 years.

The Government has backed the brand new legislation. It promised to make the kidnapping of canine a felony offence in 2021. Measures had been beforehand included within the Animal Welfare (Kept Animals) Bill, nevertheless it was dropped by ministers in May 2023, prompting a backlash from campaigners.

The new legislation will apply in England and Northern Ireland. Animals are thought to be property below present theft laws, with campaigners arguing for the emotional worth of pets to be recognised and the misery brought about if they’re stolen.

No10 mentioned it was backing the laws out of recognition that “dogs and cats are part of our family”. A spokeswoman for Rishi Sunak, who has a household canine, Nova, that lives in Downing Street, advised reporters: “Putting the maximum term at five years is about recognising the impact that pet thefts have on families and the emotional impact and distress that this can cause people.

“It recognises that these thefts shouldn’t be handled as thefts of inanimate objects, as canine and cats are a part of our household. These instances the place they occur are clearly extraordinarily distressing.”

Ms Firth, who sponsored the bill, said figures showed there were more than 12,000 dog thefts between 2018 and 2022 and warned the true number is likely to be higher. She added cat theft is “now catching up” with a rise in recent times.