The abduction of pets is to be made a criminal prosecution offence in England following an increase in reported thefts during Covid lockdowns.
Pet theft is currently being treated as a loss of owner property, but ministers want new law that recognises the emotional distress it can cause.
The proposal is one of a series of recommendations contained in a report by the Pet Theft Task Force, implemented to counter an increase in incidents during lockdown.
It revealed that around 2,000 dogs were reported stolen last year.
The task force, made up of government officials, police, prosecutors and local authorities, received testimony from animal rights groups, activists, academics and other experts.
The report found that seven out of ten animal thefts recorded by police involved dogs. It’s not yet known whether something similar will happen in Ireland but it’s likely that it will be implemented in Ireland too.
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