The Government responds to all
petitions that get more than 10,000 signatures and a response is currently
awaited as this has been reached, at 100,000 signatures, this petition will be
considered for debate in Parliament.
Sign Here - https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/640101
Petition Text:
Pets are family. Their abduction
a traumatic experience. Despite this, stolen pets are regarded as personal
property, with sentences dependent on monetary value. The Government should
recognise the emotional & welfare impacts this crime has on people &
pets by introducing a 'pet abduction' offence.
Pet Theft Reform has been
campaigning to make pet theft a specific offence with access to appropriate
custodial sentences since 2018. Four petitions in four years - each triggered
parliamentary debates, with a total of 684,970 signatures.
Following a recommendation from
the Pet Theft Taskforce, the Government added pet abduction ("taking of
pets") to the Animal Welfare (Kept Animals) Bill in November 2021.
The Government dropped the Kept
Animals Bill in May 2023.
