Petitions Committee calls on Government to make pet theft a specific offence

The letter comes following a discussion earlier this month between Committee member Tom Hunt MP,and several petitioners and experts including:

Metadata
Provider: 
UK ParliamentUK Parliament
URL: 
http://www.parliament.uk/business/committees/committees-a-z/commons-select/petitions-committee/news-parliament-2017/correspondence-pet-theft/http://www.parliament.uk/business/committees/committees-a-z/commons-select/petitions-committee/news-parliament-2017/correspondence-pet-theft/
Retrieved on: 
Wednesday, June 17, 2020
Information
Tags: 
Articles, Theft, Petition, Crime
Summary
Key Points: 
  • The letter comes following a discussion earlier this month between Committee member Tom Hunt MP,and several petitioners and experts including:
    petition creator Dr Daniel Allen, an animal geographer at Keele University who has created three petitions calling for pet theft reform, which combined have received over 250,000 signatures.
  • The letter calls for the Government to bring forward legislation, by amending either the Theft Act or the Animal Welfare Act to create a specific new offence of pet theft with an appropriate sentencing range to deter thieves, and provide a punishment that reflects the true impact of pet theft.
  • Both Finns Law and Lucys Law were subjects of two successful petitions on the issue.
  • During the discussion, campaigners made it clear that the Government relying on guidance from the Sentencing Council on the level of harm a theft causes is not enough.
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