Laws on pet theft ‘need to change'

Parliament debates sentences for stealing animals after calls for new law

- BECKY MURRAY

STOLEN pets are treated no differently to stolen phones, which needs to change, an MP has pointed out in discussions over changes to sentencing guidelines.

A parliamentary debate on 19 October followed two petitions calling for tougher sentencing for pet theft, which together received more than 260,000 signatures, and a letter from the House of Commons Petitions Committee to the Government, urging for the amendment of the Theft Act or a new offence under the Animal Welfare Act (news, 2 July).

MP Tom Hunt, who led the debate, said pet theft is not treated with the seriousness it deserves. “Those with pets can only imagine the sense of loss, anger and hopelessness they would feel if their pets were snatched away from them,” he said.