Meeting of the Parliament (Hybrid) 16 March 2022
I have set out the context, and I am not sure that it is right to characterise the situation as a rise in cases, because we think that dog theft has returned to pre-pandemic levels. Education and deterrence are important and we should take note of those things. However, for any new law, we need a clear evidence base to show that it would have a real and beneficial impact. I am sure that members would accept what I have said about that.
As members have indicated, I recognise that the theft of a beloved pet has an impact on those whose pets have been stolen. That has come out strongly in the debate. The criminal law policy question is whether the creation of a specific criminal offence meaningfully adds to the powers of the police and the courts to tackle dog theft, given the wide-ranging powers that courts already have to take relevant matters into account when sentencing.
The debate has been good in raising awareness of the important issue of dog theft. I will conclude on what I hope is a positive note: Police Scotland has advised that its records show that in around half of all cases where a dog has been reported as being stolen, that dog has subsequently been reunited with its owner. It is clear that that is much easier to achieve when the dog has been microchipped. Microchipping is an effective method to identify animals and to help reunite them with their owners when they have been lost or stolen, as has come out strongly in the debate. As members may be aware, the Government made it compulsory for all dogs to be microchipped and for contact details to be kept up to date. It is standard practice for enforcement agencies to scan all dogs that are coming into their care, which helps to ensure that when a lost or stolen dog is recovered, it can be returned to its owners swiftly.
The Government is happy to work with interested parties, including the police and animal welfare organisations, to look at what can be done to improve how pet theft is addressed in our criminal justice system. I am happy to consider any specific new evidence-based proposals on how the criminal law could be improved in this area.
Meeting closed at 18:09.