Hexham MP Guy Opperman has welcomed that Pet abduction is to be made a new criminal offence in crackdown on pet theft.

A new criminal offence for pet abduction is set to be introduced under government plans to crack down on pet theft following a reported rise in pets being stolen during the pandemic. The new law will recognise the welfare of animals and that pets are valued as more than property.

The new offence is one of several recommendations in a report published last week by the Government’s Pet Theft Taskforce which was launched in May 2021. The Taskforce considered evidence from academics, animal welfare organisations, campaign groups, enforcement agencies and industry experts.

Guy Opperman MP said: "I welcome the findings of the Pet Theft Taskforce report following a number of residents participating in my survey on this issue.

"I saw from the responses to my survey the strong feeling on this matter. The scourge of pet theft has real emotional consequences for victims.

"My dog Zola and cat Alfie are part of the family - I would hate the thought of anything happening to them.’"

The report found that seven in 10 of the animal thefts recorded by the police involve dogs. Evidence suggests that around 2,000 dog theft crimes were reported to police in 2020, causing considerable distress for owners and their pets alike. The price of some breeds increased by as much as 89% over lockdown as people spent more time at home, potentially making dog theft more appealing to criminals looking to profit from the spike in public interest in owning a pet.

RSPCA chief executive Chris Sherwood said: "We’re really pleased to hear the Government’s Pet Theft Taskforce recommendations. Pet theft can leave families in utter turmoil and have serious welfare implications for animals ripped away from everything they know.

"The new Pet Abduction Offence will acknowledge the seriousness of this crime and we hope this will encourage courts to hand out much tougher sentences to pet thieves."