By Sarah Mooney
Calls for new laws to be drafted to make it a more serious offence to steal a family pet have been made following recent reports of an uptick in dog theft.
Fianna Fáil TD James Browne says he plans to draft new legislation to give more legal status to dogs and other pets to ensure those who steal them are given tougher sentences.
He says pets are currently considered as property and their theft is punished in the same way as if someone steals any non-living object, such as a mobile phone or a power tool.
Gillian Bird of the Dublin Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (DSPCA) welcomed the proposal but said it was unlikely to deter thieves:
“I think it would be great to have pets recognised as a more important creature. Any animal that is stolen, it’s obviously good to see that somebody would be punished suitably for it, because obviously these people put a lot of effort and love and affection into them.”
“Punishments for crimes that people do really doesn’t deter people from doing things – if they want to steal a dog, they will steal a dog. I don’t think that sentencing and criminal prosecution is going to stop somebody.”
Dogs may be stolen for resale, to extort reward money, for breeding in puppy farms or as bait for dogfighting.
The DSPCA says there has been a jump in dogs being reported missing or stolen since the coronavirus restrictions were eased and is urging people to microchip their pets.
In June, gardaí warned of an increase in pedigree breeds being stolen.
An Garda Síochána says it is aware of “significant” social media activity in respect of the theft and loss of dogs in recent times, including on their own social media channels.
However, it has not recorded a spike in recorded activity on the theft of dogs during the first half of this year. There have been 41 incidents recorded in 2020, compared to 38 incidents in 2019.
Gardaí have nonetheless appealed to the public to take extra crime prevention measures when caring for their pet, including microchipping, not leaving pets tied up outside shops, ensuring sitters and kennels are reputable and keeping an eye on their pet even when at home.
