Tim Bonner: Cracking down on dog thieves

You may remember that in February five working hounds were stolen from the Westerby Bassets' kennels in Leicestershire. Pet theft is a foul crime at the best of times, but there is something especially horrible about taking hounds from a pack environment in which they have lived all their lives, presumably for sale to homes to which they would be totally unsuited. Thankfully all of the five hounds have been located safely.

The hounds were discovered with the help of a voluntary group which harnesses social media to reunite lost and found animals, and I know many of you shared our appeal for information about the stolen hounds on Facebook. The social media campaign led to the sighting of one of the hounds in the Manchester area and further investigations have led to the discovery of others. Unfortunately, but predicatably, the hounds have not done well outside the pack environment and are reported to have lost drastic amounts of weight and some have sustained injuries. A number of people have been arrested by Greater Manchester Police whose investigations continue. We hope this leads to the prosecution of those responsible for their theft.

This case also highlights the issue of pet theft at a time when a huge rise in demand for pets, especially dogs, has seen their financial value rise very significantly. This rise in value has driven a wave of crime as dogs are stolen for resale and to breed puppies for sale. Unfortunately, many working breeds, especially gundogs, are particularly targeted by criminals. The boom in puppy prices will also undoubtedly lead to a rise in back street breeding and puppy farming both in the UK and abroad with unpleasant implications for the welfare of bitches and puppies.

One proposal for tackling pet theft comes from Ipswich MP Tom Hunt who was previously with the Alliance. Tom is promoting proposals that the Government should make pet theft a specific offence which would allow judges to hand out two-year prison sentences. There is definitely logic in arguing that the impact of pet theft cannot simply be judged on the monetary value of the animal involved. Emotional attachment cannot be measured in pounds and pence and the most devastating part of pet theft is the removal of a much-loved animal from its family rather than the financial consequences of replacing it. We hope the Government thinks carefully about Tom's proposal and considers any other policies to tackle the theft of dogs and other pets. In the meantime please make sure that you keep your dogs safe.