New Delhi: Anyone caught stealing a pet in the UK will now face up to five years in prison under a new law, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEF) has announced.
The Pet Abduction Bill 2024, which was sponsored by Anna Firth MP and Lord Black of Brentwood, was passed by the government yesterday (May 24). It makes it a criminal offence to abduct a pet in England or Northern Ireland.
Under the new legislation, pet offenders will also be able to face a fine or both.
The bill was welcomed by animal lovers and pet owners groups who said the new law will finally give pets the justice they deserve after years of being stolen from their homes, said a press statement issued by Downing Street.
It quoted the Pet Theft Task Force as saying that there were around 2,000 dog and 400 cat theft crimes reported in 2020. Many owners are left devastated when their pet is stolen, causing “considerable distress” for both people and pets, it added.
With 28 percent of UK adults owning a dog and 24 percent owning a cat, pet theft is a major concern to the public, the task force said.