Make dog theft a specific criminal offence
The Parliament petitions site records 316,545 signatures for this petition, which closed on 20 May 2021. The Government responded on 20 January 2021.
The petition
The petition's creator is not named in the Petitions site's published record. Quoted in full from the UK Parliament petitions site.
Make dog theft a specific criminal offence
The Government should create a specific offence for dog theft, with 8 years minimum sentencing and a fine of at least £5,000. Dogs are like members of the family to many people and current laws do not reflect this. Dogs are a support network for so many, a family member, a lifeline.
There have been reports of substantial increases in dog theft in recent months, with the most loyal of animals torn away from its family. Thieves think it’s all too easy and the punishment can be nothing compared to the gain with a shocking minority of dogs being reunited with their families.
Dog theft is not currently a specific offence and the crime of theft carries a sentence of up to seven years according to the Theft Act 1968, but this doesn’t target the specific problem which is dog theft.
Dogs should be seen to have their own offence to protect them. Current laws and penalties are not enough justice for the families and dogs that go through this trauma. They protect us, so we will protect them.
The Government's response
The Government published its response on 20 January 2021; the petitions site lists the Ministry of Justice as responsible. Its summary:
Current court sentencing guidelines for theft already take into account the emotional distress that theft of a family pet can have on owners, and already recommend higher penalties for such offences.
The opening 359 words of the 549-word response:
We understand the emotional trauma which the theft of a much-loved dog can cause. All reported crimes should be taken seriously, investigated and, where appropriate, taken through the courts and met with tough sentences.
The theft of a dog is already a criminal offence under the Theft Act 1968 and the maximum penalty is seven years’ imprisonment.
If someone causes an animal to suffer in the course of stealing it from its owner, then they are liable to prosecution under the Animal Welfare Act 2006. The existing maximum custodial penalty for causing animal cruelty is 6 months’ imprisonment. However, there is legislation before Parliament – the Animal Welfare (Sentencing) Bill – which when passed will increase the maximum penalty to 5 years’ imprisonment. This will be the highest penalty for animal cruelty in Europe. The Government will support this Bill as it makes its way through Parliament.
Sentencing is entirely a matter for our independent courts and must take into account the circumstances of each case. When deciding on an appropriate sentence, the courts consider any aggravating and mitigating factors, in line with sentencing guidelines issued by the Sentencing Council. In February 2016 the Sentencing Council updated its guidelines in relation to sentencing for theft offences. The guidelines take account of the emotional distress, and therefore harm, that theft of a pet can have on the victim, and accordingly recommends higher penalties for such offences.
While the Government takes the issue of dog theft very seriously and is concerned by suggestions that occurrences are on the rise, we consider the legislative tools we have in place to deal with cases of dog theft to be robust and proportionate. However, as Victoria Prentis MP said on behalf of the Government at the recent Westminster Hall debate on pet theft, we continue to keep things under review and are keen to explore ways to address the issue that will be effective and have a meaningful impact on the problem at hand. That includes working with interested parties, including the police and animal welfare organisations to try and get messages across to the pet owners to help them keep their pets safe.
Read the full response on the petitions site.
Where the signatures came from
Signatures came from 650 constituencies on the boundaries used until the 2024 general election. The largest number, 1,532, came from Crewe and Nantwich.
314,868 of the signatures were from the UK and 1,677 from elsewhere, by the location signers gave.
| Constituency | Signatures |
|---|---|
| Crewe and Nantwich | 1,532 |
| Llanelli | 1,519 |
| East Surrey | 1,110 |
| North East Hertfordshire | 1,092 |
| Brentwood and Ongar | 1,090 |
| Rutland and Melton | 1,028 |
| Don Valley | 1,025 |
| Epping Forest | 1,018 |
| Rayleigh and Wickford | 1,013 |
| Devizes | 1,001 |
| Region | Signatures |
|---|---|
| South East | 55,947 |
| East of England | 35,815 |
| North West | 30,350 |
| South West | 28,986 |
| London | 28,428 |
| East Midlands | 26,708 |
| Yorkshire and The Humber | 25,605 |
| West Midlands | 25,046 |
| Wales | 20,502 |
| Scotland | 13,115 |
| North East | 12,525 |
| Northern Ireland | 1,398 |
Debate in Parliament
MPs debated the petition in Westminster Hall on .
The Petitions Committee's summary of the debate:
The Petitions Committee has decided not to schedule a debate on this petition.
They have agreed not to schedule a debate on this petition as the central request of the petition is being met with the Government’s announcement of plans to introduce a specific criminal offence of pet abduction, which the Petitions Committee has itself supported calls for, following a number of petitions on this issue. The Committee also debated a similar petition in October 2020.
On Friday 3 September 2021, the Government announced plans to introduce a specific criminal offence of pet abduction, along the lines called for in the petition you signed.
You can read the Government's announcement here: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/pet-abduction-to-be-made-new-criminal-offence-in-crackdown-on-pet-theft
After writing to the Government supporting calls for a specific offence of pet theft, the Petitions Committee debated pet theft in October 2020, in response to another petition calling for this to be made a specific criminal offence.
Read the Committee's letter calling for pet theft to be made a specific offence: https://committees.parliament.uk/publications/1502/documents/13678/default/
And read the Government's response: https://committees.parliament.uk/publications/2185/documents/20152/default/
You can read a transcript of the debate from 20 October 2020 here: https://hansard.parliament.uk/commons/2020-10-19/debates/7DB00823-5B7F-452D-8F36-B857FEDE682B/PetTheft
You can also watch the debate here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XRtSMPH_zuc
Source and receipt
- https://petition.parliament.uk/archived/petitions/560216.jsonUK Parliament Petitions API · read 2026-10-15 · SHA-256
d9cdeb2d93a19601… - The petition on petition.parliament.uk
The petition's words are its creator's and the response is the Government's; this site quotes both and gives no view on either. Signature counts can still change while a petition is open. To report an error, send a correction request.