- By Alex Bish & Amy Walker
- BBC South East Investigation Team
Image supply, Getty Images
Cocker spaniels had been the commonest breed to be reported stolen in Kent
Nearly 700 dogs had been reported stolen in Kent in 5 years, based on police information.
The figures, obtained by BBC Radio Kent, present the commonest breeds taken had been cocker spaniel, Staffordshire terrier and Jack Russell terrier.
But of the stories, solely a few fifth of dogs had been later recorded as recovered, whereas simply 10 circumstances led to legal prices.
Kent Police mentioned its precedence was to make sure pets had been recovered safely.
Ryan O’Meara, co-founder of dogsblog.com – one of many UK’s largest canine adoption websites – mentioned criminals noticed canine theft as “against the law that has a excessive reward” due to low conviction charges.
He added that below the present legislation, “stealing a canine primarily has the very same authorized implication as stealing someone’s watch”.
Between the monetary years 2018-19 and 2022-23, 692 stories of canine thefts had been made to Kent Police.
Image supply, Getty Images
Ministers are understood to be sympathetic to a plan to alter the legislation
The highest determine was in 2021-22, when 179 had been reportedly taken. The lowest was in 2019-20, partly throughout lockdowns induced by Covid-19, when 98 had been reported as taken.
Last yr, 159 dogs had been stolen, based on the figures.
But only a few stories led to optimistic outcomes for house owners, with simply 10 circumstances resulting in legal prices.
Pets thought-about as property
In one case, an offender was given a youth warning, whereas in two others, a “neighborhood decision” was discovered.
Within the identical timeframe in Kent, solely 148 (21%) of the dogs reportedly stolen within the county had been later recorded as recovered by the pressure.
Supt Pete Steenhuis, head of strategic prevention on the pressure, mentioned it will do every part it might “to reunite victims with their dogs and establish the folks accountable primarily based on the proof available.
“Our precedence is to make sure they’re introduced again collectively safely as quickly as attainable.”
He added: “Where there’s proof to assist an allegation {that a} canine has been stolen and which helps us to establish an offender, we are going to at all times search to make arrests and produce prices when applicable.”
A invoice debated within the Commons on Friday would create an offence of “pet abduction”.
Under the laws, anybody convicted of the offence might face a high quality or a most of 5 years in jail.
Currently, pets are thought-about in legislation to be property and stealing a pet is roofed by the 1968 Theft Act.
