The legislation laid out in the recently passed Pet Abduction Bill was among the policy recommendations given by the Pet Theft Taskforce in 2021, a group which was created by the UK government in response to concerns around an increase in dog theft during the pandemic.
The Taskforce had considered expanding the Theft Act to create a new offense of “pet theft”. It concluded, however, that this would be an inadequate solution because the framework provided by theft law does not take into account the well-being of the stolen animal, thus they would still be treated only as property.
It is hard to believe that around 50% of dog thefts are of working dogs. If you have ever hunted with a dog, or simply shared your home with one, you will have felt the connection. As individuals, we have established powerful bonds with our dogs and it is almost impossible to imagine a life without man's best friend by your side.
A gundog is not a tool just to retrieve quarry but a close companion, whether at home or whilst in a hide, so to have them stolen can be devasting. However, given that trained gundogs can fetch thousands of pounds, pet theft of such breeds can be seen as easy pickings.
There are also unscrupulous criminals who target family pets for criminal activities (such as dog fighting) who, under the previous legislation, would have likely got off with nothing more than a slap on the wrist if caught abducting pets.
Courts will now have more freedom to consider the total level of harm to owner and animal meaning that sentencing would not just be based on the monetary loss, which for an individual pet may not be significant.
It is with that in mind that Countryside Alliance Ireland welcomes the new legislation that has created a specific offense of dog and cat abduction in Northern Ireland. The Pet Abduction Act 2024 makes it clear that animals have a special legal status beyond mere property.
While pet theft remains relatively low in Northern Ireland under this new law, “anyone found guilty of stealing a pet could face up to five years in prison, a fine, or both”. Hopefully it will act as a powerful deterrent against offenders.