{"id":27013,"date":"2024-01-19T07:21:54","date_gmt":"2024-01-19T12:21:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/worldjusticenews.com\/news\/?p=27013"},"modified":"2024-01-19T07:21:54","modified_gmt":"2024-01-19T12:21:54","slug":"cat-and-dog-theft-set-to-be-made-criminal-offence","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/worldjusticenews.com\/news\/2024\/01\/19\/cat-and-dog-theft-set-to-be-made-criminal-offence\/","title":{"rendered":"Cat and dog theft set to be made criminal offence"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n
\n

The government is expected to back making stealing cats and dogs a specific criminal offence in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.<\/b><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n

A bill being debated in the Commons on Friday would create an offence of “pet abduction”.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n

Under the legislation, anyone convicted of the offence could face a fine or a maximum of five years in prison.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n

Ministers are understood to be “very sympathetic” to the plan.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n

Currently, pets are considered in law to be property and stealing a pet is covered by the\u00a01968 Theft Act<\/a>. The law is similar in Scotland.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n

The government promised to make the abduction of dogs a criminal offence in 2021, but no such legislation has yet been passed.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n
\n