Pet Theft: What you need to know

Pet Theft: What you need to know

 

 

Last week we were talking about keeping ourselves and our pets safe online - because we’d rather not have someone pinch our pets from our back garden. This week, we’re dedicating our post to Pet Theft Awareness - what it is, what motivations thieves have and a few more measures to keep our loving furry friends safe.

 

Unfortunately, although many of us were able to spend more time with our pets during 2020 the surge in people wanting furry companions directly increased the prices of puppies and kittens. Criminals saw an opportunity and 2020 was the worst year for animal theft in the last 30+ years.

 

If you didn’t catch our last post. Find it here to read all about keeping your animal safe when you’re online: Responsible Pet Ownership: Online Safety

 

Why are pets stolen?

 

Monetary Gain
 

Some people wish to sell them on, making purebred pets extremely desirable. It can also be the case that a thief will keep the pet until a large reward is offered and return the pet to claim it. No one notices when they return the pet because they’re so happy to see their animal.

 

Training
 

Some animals are stolen to be sold to be used as ‘bait’ dogs to train fighting dogs. - It’s still all really about money!

 

Research
 

And some are stolen to be used in medical, veterinary or scientific studies.

 

Of course, these are all abhorrent reasons, but sadly true nonetheless. That's why as responsible pet owners, it's our duty to take certain precautions to try and minimise this risk as much as possible. We're not saying you should 'wrap your pets in cotton wool' and never let them leave your side- that wouldn't be fun for either us or our pets! But there are some things we can all do- in particular if you have a dog in the family- that can help guard against such terrible scenarios. 

 

What’s the best prevention against pet theft?

 

Identification
 

Make sure your pet’s microchip is always up to date and their collar has your correct contact details. If your pet is purchased by someone else and your microchip is up to date, when scanned by a vet, you’re much more likely to have your pet returned to you.

 

Neutering
 

With the most common reason for stealing a pet being for breeding purposes, if your pet is neutered it’s much more unlikely that someone will take them. It’s also good for their health and reduces many complications later in life!

 

Supervision
 

Never leave your pet unsupervised. If you’re not at home, don’t leave them outside. If you’re out for a walk with your dog, make sure you know where they are at all times. If you see anything suspicious, be wary and contact the authorities if necessary.

 

 

Pet Theft Law Change

 

In October of 2020, MP’s debated changing the law on pet theft. With fines being minimal the talk included enforcing a two-year prison sentence for those committing pet theft. When brought up in 2018, the government deemed that the sanctions where satisfactory and did not make any changes, but with over a 50% rise in thefts since 2019 for some regions, the hope is they will change something.

 

Head over here to sign the petition to make dog theft a specific criminal offence with an 8-year minimum sentence and a fine of at least £5,000 - Make dog theft a specific criminal offence - Petitions (parliament.uk)

 

We’re raising awareness to hopefully help reduce the likelihood of anyone having to go through the trauma of having a pet stolen. With the hopeful change in law and more people spreading the word, we hope that the statistic will change and the following years will see a decrease.