Last week, I asked the Lord Chancellor and Justice Secretary, Robert Buckland, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of increasing the maximum sentence for pet theft in order to deter this heart-breaking crime.
I was not only asking this question on behalf of my two rescue Labradors, Chase and Sophie, but on behalf of every pet owner across the Forest of Dean.
I was pleased to hear that the Government has set up a pet theft taskforce to investigate the reported rise in pet theft since the beginning of lockdown.
The new taskforce has been set up to gather evidence to understand the factors that may be contributing to any rise in thefts and to recommend any necessary measures to tackle the problem. Stealing a pet is already a criminal offence under the Theft Act 1968, with offenders facing a maximum penalty of seven years in prison. If the animal suffers during the theft, criminals are further liable to prosecution for offences under the Animal Welfare Act 2006, and could face an increased maximum penalty of 5 years’ imprisonment from this summer onwards.
The taskforce will chaired by the Lord Chancellor and be made up of Government officials from DEFRA, the Home Office and Ministry of Justice as well as operational partners such as the police.
It will seek input from animal welfare groups and experts in relevant fields to gather, research and commission work to build a clear evidence base of the scale of any issue; to consider causes, prevention, reporting, enforcement and prosecution; as well as to make clear and timely recommendations on ways to improve the situation.
The plans are part of the Government’s commitment to tackle crime and the impacts of crime, further strengthening the UK’s position as a global leader in animal welfare.
They come alongside other measures including taking steps to end live animal exports and crack down on the illegal smuggling of dogs and puppies.
Our newly elected Conservative Police and Crime Commissioner Chris Nelson also takes this issue incredibly seriously, with a pet theft action plan coordinated between Police and Crime Commissioners across the South West.