Government must do more to address the 'devastating problem' of pet theft

Pets are at the heart of British families, but sadly the number of pets stolen each year is on the rise.

Figures obtained by pet charity Blue Cross showed 1,567 cats and dogs were reported stolen across the UK in 2014, compared with 1,150 in 2012; an increase of almost 40 per cent in two years.

Gemma Atkin-Brown, says the impact on her family of the theft of family dog, Lola, in August last year has been heartbreaking: “My son cries himself to sleep at night because he misses her so much and my disabled daughter can’t understand why Lola has gone.

“We’re devastated by the loss of Lola and are desperate to get her back.”

Pets are part of the family, and current legislation does not recognise the suffering owners face if their pet is pinched. The emotional toll can be hard for owners to bear, and those whose dogs, cats, horses and other pets are missing experience a feeling of grief and worry, worsened by the fact they just do not know what has happened to them.

The law fails too to recognise the welfare impact on the stolen pets.

Unlike in France, where the National Assembly voted in January to reclassify animals as ‘living beings gifted with sentience’, here they are ‘chattels’, or property, and stolen pets have the same legal standing as items such as TVs and laptops.

Because ‘pet theft’ and ‘petnapping’ are not specific crimes in their own right, it’s impossible to get consistent recording of pet theft across the country because police forces are not given specific requirements about how to note down details of the crime. The true number of pet thefts is likely to be higher than our figures suggest.

Evidence suggests that criminals are deliberately targeting pet owners and are capitalising on their devotion to their beloved pets, with pets being stolen in return for a reward or ransom.

Penalties need to be tougher for those committing these crimes to act as a deterrent to others, so we’re really pleased that MP Gareth Johnson has tabled an adjournment debate on sentencing in cases of dog theft today, and would like members to consider other species too.

We believe the government should provide police forces with the training and resources necessary to deal with these sensitive cases, and to be able to highlight to bereft owners where they can go for support.

Today’s debate is a real opportunity for the government to promise to do more to deal with this increasing and devastating problem and we hope members will do the right thing.