Following a rise reported thefts during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns, pet abduction is set to be made a criminal offence in England. The theft of a pet is currently treated as the loss of an owner’s property, but ministers are calling for a new law that acknowledges the emotional distress it can cause. The pet theft Taskforce found that around 2,000 dogs were reported stolen last year, with the proposal being set up to tackle the increase during the lockdown. The report found that seven in ten pet thefts recorded involved dogs.
It is not known what the maximum sentence for a new offence of pet abduction might be. The report also reveals that the price for five of the UK’s most desirable dog breeds significantly increased during the first lockdown. Said to have risen as high as 89%, the Taskforce suggested this potentially made dog theft more appealing to criminals seeking profit. Google searches for ‘buy a puppy’ increased by over 160% in the months after England’s first nationwide lockdown began.
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Photo Source: The Connexion