Pet theft would be made a specific criminal offence under a new law proposed by a Tory MP.
Conservative Anna Firth said it is “totally inappropriate” that stolen dogs and cats are currently treated the same as the loss of property.
The former barrister said the issue came to her attention when a woman in Essex had her four rescue dogs taken.
Ms Firth, who has a dog and two cats, said: “Reading her story I thought this is just terrible, this is so devastating when this happens.
“When you look into it you’ll find there are thousands of dogs every year that are stolen from people and the number of cats being stolen is hugely on the increase.
“And yet we’ve been treating them as if they were like mobile phones or something because they’re being treated as property under the Theft Act 1968. Obviously that’s just totally inappropriate.
“Dogs are sentient beings, they’re part of the family, when someone’s dog is stolen it’s a real trauma for the family and that should be reflected in our law.”
Ms Firth, who represents Southend West, added that it is “incredibly important” for her to continue her predecessor Sir David Amess’s animal welfare legacy.
Sir David, who was known for his love of animals, was murdered at a constituency surgery in Essex in October 2021.
She said: “He was a titan in being a champion for animals, he was a colossal figure. I’m an animal lover myself so it’s not a duty for me to build on his legacy, it’s a pleasure.
“We are a nation of animal lovers. I don’t see this as a party political issue either. I think everybody is united in wanting us to treat animals in a decent and proper way.”
An estimated 2,160 dogs were reported stolen to police in the UK in 2022, according to research by Direct Line Pet Insurance.
Ms Firth’s Pet Abduction Bill, which has its second reading in the Commons next Friday, would make dog and cat thefts a specific criminal offence.
Lorraine Platt, co-founder of the Conservative Animal Welfare Foundation, said: “We are delighted to support this important Bill led by our patron Anna Firth which will address the growing issue of pet theft.
“Our pets are members of the family, often providing much-needed companionship and stability throughout our lives.
“That the theft of a treasured pet is treated no more severely under the law than that of a mobile phone is simply unacceptable, and we look forward to seeing this legislation provide an effective deterrent against such offences.”
Private members’ bills give backbench MPs a chance to bring forward legislation in Parliament but are unlikely to get over the line without government support.
A crackdown on pet theft was due to be included in Boris Johnson’s flagship Kept Animals Bill which was dropped by the government last year.
A Defra spokesperson said: “The theft of a pet can have a devastating impact on its owners, which is why in 2016 we made it compulsory to microchip all pet dogs in England and have extended this legislation so it includes cats from June this year.
“We are aware of a private members’ bill being brought forward aiming to introduce new measures to tackle the issue of pet abduction.”
