A new law has officially come into place as of today (August 24), meaning the theft or detaining of a cat or dog is now a criminal offence in England and Northern Ireland. Under the Pet Abduction Act 2024 which received Royal Assent on May 24 states criminals will face up to five years in prison, a fine, or both. The Private Members’ Bill was sponsored by Anna Firth MP and Lord Black of Brentwood, supported by the government.
GOV.UK explains: “The new law recognises that cats and dogs are not inanimate objects but sentient beings capable of experiencing distress and other emotional trauma when they are stolen from their owners or keepers. 🎊Delighted that the 🐶Pet Abduction Act 🐈⬛becomes law this Saturday.
📰 This means that from tomorrow anyone found guilty of stealing a dog or a cat will face up to 5 years in prison, a fine, or both. 🙏🏻Huge thank you to @PetTheftUK @Dr_Dan_1 @theresecoffey @ConservativeAWF ..
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com/DeP94HzD96 — Anna Firth (@Anna_Firth) August 23, 2024 Pet Abduction Act 2024 will help 'identify the animals and breeds most at risk' “Evidence from the Pet Theft Taskforce suggests around 2,000 dog and over 400 cat theft crimes were reported to police in 2020, causing considerable distress for owners and their pets alike. “With an estimated 28% of UK adults owning a dog and 24% owning a cat, pet theft is a major concern to the public.” Annabel Berdy, senior advocacy and government relations officer for leading charity .