Government pledges support for new pet abduction bill

The Government has pledged its backing for new legislation on pet abduction after backbench proposals on the issue cleared their latest Parliamentary hurdle.

A private members’ bill, which has been widely welcomed by welfare campaigners, had its second reading in the House of Commons on Friday 19 January.

The bill, tabled by the Conservative MP Anna Firth, is intended to introduce specific offences of cat and dog abduction, each carrying a maximum sentence of five years in jail.

Defra said its support for the bill, which it has committed to implementing within three months of it receiving Royal Assent, fulfils the requirements of its existing animal welfare action plan.

No guarantees

In a statement released following the debate, environment secretary Steve Barclay said: “This vital bill will recognise the severity of this shocking crime and should act as a deterrent to anyone considering stealing a dog or cat.

“We will do all we can to support its swift passage through Parliament.”

But the debate on the new bill also re-opened the old argument about the Government’s decision to scrap the Kept Animals Bill, which included measures on pet abduction, last summer.

Shadow environment minister Daniel Zeichner warned that, while opposition parties support the bill, its passage on to the statute book was not guaranteed.

He said: “Yes, we understand that bits of the bill are being brought forward in dribs and drabs, but that is subject to all the uncertainties and vagaries of the private members’ bill process, without the expert evidence sessions that helpfully inform our discussions.”

‘Right direction’

But Dogs Trust chief executive Owen Sharp was one of several charity bosses to back the new bill, describing it as “a first step in the right direction”.

Cats Protection officials have also pledged to work with other organisations on the bill, while RSPCA head of public affairs David Bowles hopes the measures will act as a “real deterrent”.

He added: “Pets are members of the family – and it just isn’t appropriate that stealing a cat or dog is currently treated the same in law as stealing a mobile phone or other such possessions.

“Thankfully, this bill will change that and give more animals the recognition they deserve, which is so important as we seek to inspire everyone to create a better world for every animal.”