By Sammie Jones-
The offence of pet abduction will be introduced through primary legislation and will cover all pet theft, following a rise in pet theft during the pandemic, with 70% of reported animal thefts involving dogs.
The new offence unveiled on Friday is one of a number of recommendations put forward by the government’s pet theft taskforce, to address the rising numbers of such cases, which found the price of some breeds of dog had increased by as much as 89% during the coronavirus lockdowns.
In a report, the taskforce also recommended improving recording and data collection about pet abduction crimes, new requirements to register additional ownership details, and a single point of access to microchipping databases.
The RSPCA chief executive, Chris Sherwood, said: “Pet theft can leave families in utter turmoil and have serious welfare implications for animals ripped away from everything they know.
“The new pet abduction offence will acknowledge the seriousness of this crime and we hope this will encourage courts to hand out much tougher sentences to pet thieves. We’re also thrilled that the government wants to simplify the microchipping database system and we believe this will help to tackle pet theft as well as other animal welfare issues and irresponsible pet ownership generally.
Pets like dogs are generally treasured by their owners, and fall under personal property in law. Stealing another person’s dog is amounts to the theft of their belongings
Campaigners have bitterly complained that only 1% of dog theft crimes had led to a prosecution despite a 170% increase in pet theft. The price of some puppies are said to have quadrupled during the pandemic , as responsible breeders slowed down their operations, leading to the emergence of a black market to fill the gap in demand, they said.
Dog thieves are said have targeted designer crossbreeds in high demand, including French bulldogs, pugs, cockapoos and labradoodles, luring them out of gardens in affluent areas using treats to achieve their criminal goal.
Ministers have yet to confirm what sort of penalties those convicted of pet abduction could face but said the new offence would prioritise the welfare of pets as sentient beings and recognise the distress to the animal in addition to its owner.
The environment secretary, George Eustice, whose department this week said: “Pets are much-loved members of the family in households up and down the country, and reports of a rise in pet theft have been worrying. Pet owners shouldn’t have to live in fear, and I am pleased this report acknowledges the unique distress caused by this crime.”