In August of this year, new legislation came into force in parts of the UK that made stealing a pet a specific crime, with much of the media praising the law. As with all laws, the government spent a long time investigating the need for it. And then debating the specifics of the legislation. Today we will look into this new law, what it specifically covers, and whether we are seeing any less pets being stolen as a result. 

Table of contents

What Was the Law Before August 2024 and Why Did it Change?

Previous Law

Before this year, there was no specific law covering pet theft. Instead, animals were considered property. Thus if they were stolen the crime could be prosecuted under the Theft Act, 1968. This generally meant that the sentence a thief would receive would be dependent mainly on how the animal was stolen, as well as its value. Individual trials may have considered the distress on the part of the owner. But generally an animal being stolen was treated the same as a stolen mobile phone or computer. This carried a maximum penalty of seven years imprisonment, but could have resulted in a fine instead. It is important to note that should the animal suffer during the theft, the criminal may also have faced prosecution under the 2006 Animal Welfare Act. 

During the COVID-19 pandemic, it is well known that the market for dogs and cats in particular rose dramatically. Due to people trapped at home sought companionship. Linked to this, it was widely reported that the number of thefts of pets was also rising; presumably to help cover this demand. As a result, in May 2021, the Conservative government created a Pet Theft Taskforce to investigate this phenomenon and recommend any legislation changes. 

Pet Theft Taskforce Findings

The Pet Theft Taskforce found that in 2020, 33 police forces recorded 1504 offences of ‘dog theft’; an increase of 3.5% since 2019, but lower than in 2017 and 2015. Cat theft was reported to be increasing year-on-year since 2015 by 36 police forces. But was still relatively low at 401 cases in 2020. The Taskforce extrapolated via the Metropolitan Police Force’s data that UK-wide thefts in 2021 would be around 1540, but this makes some assumptions. They also noted that many thefts of pets would not be explicitly recorded as pet theft; meaning the actual number of stolen pets may be underreported. The Taskforce could not identify the number of people prosecuted for pet theft or their sentences. This is because there was no specific statistics recorded at the time. 

Their final report summarised their findings: 70% of stolen pets are dogs. Around 2000 dog thefts are reported in England and Wales yearly, but only 0.5% of all theft offences involve dogs. However, public perception is that pet theft is much higher than it is. And there had been an increase in recorded dog theft between 2019 and 2023. They also noted that the emotional impact on victims of these crimes was also high. 

Outside of the Taskforce, The Kennel Club separately uncovered that of the dog thefts reported to 36 police forces in 2020, over half were unable to identify a suspect. Only 2% of cases resulted in a charge, meaning 98% of dog theft crimes went unpunished. 

The Taskforce concluded that a new offence of ‘pet abduction’ should be created

The offence would “…switch the focus from the loss to the owner to the welfare of the animal”. However, they did argue that any initial law change should cover just dogs, with other animals added later as needed. Based on these findings, the then-Conservative MP for Southend West and Leigh, Anna Firth, introduced a new bill to parliament: the Pet Abduction Bill.

The Pet Abduction Bill

The Pet Abduction Bill introduced two new offences covering both dog and cat abduction in England and Northern Ireland (in Wales and Scotland, animal welfare is the responsibility of their individual governments). The bill specifies ‘abduction’, rather than ‘theft’, agreeing with the Taskforce that the bill should focus on the welfare of the animal. Anyone committing this crime will face a fine, maximum five years imprisonment, or both. 

There are some caveats to the law, including exclusions for taking a dog that previously lived with the owner acquired when living together, but no longer living together (e.g: a couple purchasing a dog, breaking up and then the person moving out takes the dog from the other partner). Though the law just covers dogs and cats currently, there is provision in the bill for other animals to be easily added in future if necessary. 

After three readings in parliament, the bill was passed in May on one of the last days of parliament before the 2024 general election. It received widespread cross-party support; perhaps demonstrating that despite huge divisions between political parties as of late, animal welfare is something most MPs could agree on! The law came into force 24th August 2024. 

Reception

The new law received widespread attention in the media and from animal welfare groups, with overwhelming support. The Dogs Trust said, “We are delighted to see the Pet Abduction Act come into force, and that it recognises the emotional bond between dog and owner”. Cats Protection wrote, “The underground trade in stolen pets has been allowed to flourish for too long, and finally this new law will help us begin to stamp it out once and for all”. The RSPCA concurred, saying, “We hope this will encourage courts to hand out much tougher sentences to pet thieves”. A few also commented that the laws in Scotland and Wales still regard pets as property, and want to see this changed there too. 

When being introduced, there were a few dissenting voices over the bill

One MP tried to push several amendments to the bill, including making the law only apply to ‘permanently’ removing a dog from the owner; only applying if the dog was taken from its lawful owner not anyone else (such as a kennel or sitter); and only applying to those dogs that have been microchipped so as to encourage microchipping. Most interestingly, they wanted to remove the offence of cat abduction entirely; arguing that the Taskforce also recommended that cats should be excluded from the law change at that time. However, these amendments were not passed. 

Furthermore, a barrister argued in a blog post that there was no point to the law. Stating that despite public perceptions, there was no ‘epidemic’ of dog theft. And that existing criminal law was sufficient to deal with the crime; particularly given that the previous maximum sentence for theft was seven years, a bigger deterrent than the new law’s five. One commenter also noted that should a pet be stolen as part of a more serious crime (such as burglary), the new law may not be applied, resulting in underreporting once more.

Do We Know the Results Yet? 

Unfortunately, it is too soon to know the effects this new law has had on deterring dog thieves, and of prosecuting those that commit the crime. Crime statistics are published regularly. And because the offence now specifies animal theft, rather than being grouped in with other thefts, we should eventually be able to analyse the data and determine if this law was a success. Do remember, however, that other factors will affect crime numbers. In this case for example, should the market for dogs and cats be lower than during the pandemic (or the numbers of pets available for purchase has caught up); the incentive to steal pets may be lower, regardless of the law change. Time will tell. 

Author’s Thoughts

Since we can’t comment on the effectiveness of the law yet, this author would like to comment on the pros and cons of the law. As well as whether it may have the effect desired. 

By far this author’s biggest praise for the law is the requirement to record pet theft individually

Though the Taskforce’s findings indicate the relative numbers of pet theft are low, they do admit the numbers are likely to be higher. There was no way to tell at the time, but now any cases of pet theft can be reported properly. This means any future taskforces can analyse the statistics thoroughly; perhaps determining if the law is effective or if further changes are needed. We will hopefully be able to know the outcomes of cases more easily too, discovering how courts apply the law (for example, if judges lean towards fines or prison for the crimes). 

This author also agrees that the law will provide some comfort to previous victims of pet theft that others may not suffer like them; as well as to owners who are particularly worried about pet theft. The Taskforce stated that the perception of pet theft is higher than the actual numbers. So although an individual owner’s chance of being a victim of this crime is low anyway, the law might comfort them further that they will be protected. 

However, this author does agree with some commenters questioning whether this law was necessary

Given the low numbers of actual pet theft in the UK (despite the increase during the pandemic years), and that there was already a law covering pet theft as objects and the Animal Welfare Act covering any suffering on the part of the animal, was a new law really essential? A criminal may be no more or less likely to steal a pet now; particularly given the maximum sentence is now lower than the prior law. (Though we have no information on how many thieves received more than 5 years prior to the new law, and no information on convictions since it was introduced). This author does not believe the law will be any more a deterrent for criminals wanting to steal pets than the previous law, as they will not be considering animal welfare anyway. 

Furthermore, given that most owners are going to be more concerned with getting their pet back rather than the financial compensation or prosecution of the thief, will this new law actually make a difference to crimes being solved? The law won’t address the fact that almost all dog thefts resulted in no conviction. There is clearly an issue at the policing level surrounding pet theft which this author does not see the new law addressing. It will be little comfort to a lost pet owner knowing that this new law respects their pet’s sentience but they don’t get their pet back anyway.

Overall, the law has been introduced and, according to the government’s report, should incur little cost to the public, so this author sees few downsides now it is in place

However, this author feels that more should be done to prosecute these types of crime regardless of the specifics of the law, and this author is concerned the law does not address the root causes of pet theft, and the low numbers of prosecutions. Furthermore, this author would argue for education for owners informing them that the numbers of animals stolen is still very low in England and NI, and what they can do to reduce this risk further. 

Preventing Pet Theft

Since we are arguing for education, let’s briefly discuss how you can reduce the chance of your pet being stolen. 

Primarily, you should ensure that your pet has been microchipped, and the chip registered to your address

Remember that this is now mandatory for cats since June 2024 and has been for dogs for years. A microchip will mean it is difficult for your pet to not be proven as yours should there be any discrepancies; such as a person taking a pet not knowing it was owned. Furthermore, should your pet get lost for non-criminal reasons, they are much more likely to be returned to you once the chip has been scanned. On top of chipping, we recommend that pets wear some sort of collar with identification on it (cat collars should be quick-release for safety). 

When out with your dog, do not leave them unattended

This means keeping them on a lead, or within an enclosed area. Dogs can easily be taken once out of sight, and are also more likely to get into accidents with other pets or traffic. If you have your dog off-lead, ensure they know recall and will return when necessary. Avoid tying your dog up outside shops where they can be taken quickly. 

At home, keep your house secured

Make sure that the doors and windows are locked so no one can enter, or your pet cannot leave (excepting outdoor cats, of course). Be mindful in the garden, where crafty pets can easily escape if not properly secured. If you leave your pet alone at home for periods of time, try not to make this information known; such as by posting on social media. This could be an incentive for thieves. 

Finally, should the worst happen and your pet is stolen, report it immediately to the police. You can also notify local dog wardens and rescue centres, and consider placing missing posters up locally. 

Sources:

Previous Law:

Taskforce:

Law:

Reception:

Further reading: