Dog theft law gets more bite with new ‘pet abduction’ offence

Ministers say new crime will carry tougher sentences following rise in dognapping as pet ownership soared in lockdown

A new offence of pet abduction" is being drawn up to tackle a rise in dognapping since the start of the first lockdown last year. This is the primary recommendation from the government's pet theft task force, which was launched following soaring cases of stolen pets.

As demand for pets grew with people forced to spend more time at home during the pandemic, the cost of dogs and cats rose sharply, and soon organised crime groups were coordinating pet thefts to exploit the inflated prices.