Meeting of the Parliament (Hybrid) 16 March 2022
That is an important point, and highlights why taking pet theft seriously is important: some of these criminals, frankly, care very little about the animals that they steal, and can subject them to appalling things, as Christine Grahame suggests.
We should bring all pets under the same protections. All pets should be treated as treasured animals and not just treated as property, whether they are cats or dogs.
The benefits of having a specific offence of pet theft that would offer protections to all companionate animals go beyond simply recognising the emotional attachment that we have to our pets; there are also practical benefits. According to the Kennel Club, 98 per cent of dog theft criminals in the UK are never charged, and, in more than half of cases, a suspect is never found. A strong identifier of pet theft would allow cases to be better tracked through the criminal justice system. The UK’s pet theft task force found that consistent and accurate recording of pet theft would also help to identify cases, and the Dogs Trust has highlighted the fact that that would build a stronger picture of the true scale of the problem. Proper data collection would also contribute to having more consistency when it comes to punishment and also to having proportionate punishments that serve as an effective deterrent.
Introducing a criminal offence for pet abduction would be a positive step forward. I believe that it would bring us in line with other parts of the UK and other parts of the world that have already committed to such a move. I look forward to backing such legislation if Maurice Golden or, indeed, the Government decide to introduce it.
17:48