I am thrilled to announce that my Pet Abduction Bill has successfully passed through its final stage in the Commons, and is now on its way to the House of Lords.
On Friday 19th April 2024, my Pet Abduction Bill, which will, “create offences of dog abduction and cat abduction and will confer a power to make corresponding provision relating to the abduction of other animals commonly kept as pets”, passed its Report stage.
The Bill is important because it removes pets from being in the same legal category as inanimate objects that have been stolen, and creates the specific offence of dog and cat abduction. It recognises that dogs and cats are sentient beings capable of experiencing distress and other emotional trauma if they are stolen from their owners or keepers.
By supporting my Pet Abduction Bill, the Government is delivering on pledges made in its Action Plan for Animal Welfare.
Friday’s Report Stage was the last chance for amendments to be proposed in the Commons. All MPs in the House were able to suggest amendments to the Bill before it was moved to the Lords.
Lord Guy Black of Brentwood is sponsoring the Bill through the Lords where it begins the second stage of its progress towards becoming law.
I was inspired to bring this Private Members Bill after becoming aware of a number of incidents in my constituency and learning that pet thefts have increased across the country with figures suggesting that at least 2,290 dogs were stolen last year, a 6% increase on 2022. Just one in six (16%) were found and returned successfully, the lowest level since insurer Direct Line started tracking the data in 2015.
Security specialists ADT run a yearly Pet Theft Report which shows that dogs are the most frequently stolen pets at the top of the list, with a staggering 4,403 theft cases between 2019 and 2023.
Here are just some of the thefts and attempted thefts that have happened in my constituency:
• In 2021, Ann Cushion had her four rescue dogs stolen. She has gone on to establish Southend-based group Tilly’s Angels with Helene Leader, an initiative seeking to reunite pets with their owners.
• In March 2024 in Benfleet, a pensioner was hit over the head by men who jumped out of a van in an attempt to steal his cocker spaniel.
• July 2023 - Twiglet the dachshund was stolen by a thief who smashed a patio door. Essex police released footage of the dog struggling to get away from the thief, who was believed to have sold her on.
I'm absolutely delighted that my Bill has now passed its final stage in the House of Commons and I’m grateful for the cross-party support that it has received.
Our pets are part of our families. They comfort us when we are down and give us a huge amount of laughter, energy and joy when we are up—and, in fact, all the time. They make a house a home. That is why it is so heart-breaking when any one of our beloved pets is snatched away from us, and it is also why the taking, abducting or detaining of someone else’s beloved pet is such a sick and cruel crime.
As a nation of pet-lovers, it is vital that the law recognises the emotional impact that theft of a pet can have and brings the perpetrators to justice that correctly reflects this. Pets are not merely ornamental in our lives – they are sentient beings, and it is not right that the law didn't recognise this.
