Pet Theft Reform is the only evidence-based campaign dedicated to making pet theft a specific offence with access to appropriate custodial sentences in England and Wales. ​
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With the nation's pets only protected under the current Theft Act 1968, in which they are categorised in the same way as your mobile phone, pet theft is a lucrative crime with minimal repercussions.
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Since 2018, Dr. Daniel Allen has been spearheading critical research into the truth behind pet theft and the emotional trauma experienced by its victims.
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DOG THEFT UP,
CONVICTIONS DOWN
In 2017, dog theft crimes rose 11.43% to 1842 from 1559 in 2015 but court charges related to dog theft crimes decreased with 64 (3.97%) in 2015 to only 39 (2.11%) in 2017
2019 Pet Theft Reform research
The aim of our research is to help build an ‘evidence base’ to inform the development of the policing and wider response to dog theft in the UK.
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The full extent and nature of pet theft is still not yet clear as there are a range of limitations associated with how police and local authorities record and collate information.
Our research uses a range of data sources to analyse the extent of dog theft, identify trends and patterns across the UK and the impact of this heartbreaking crime.
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By bringing together a range of different data sources, we can build up a clearer picture of the problem across the UK and work with the Government to put in place more effective preventative measures.
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Allen (2019) found the police forces with the most dog theft crimes in 2018 were: Metropolitan (London) (256), West Yorkshire (167), Greater Manchester (145), Merseyside (117), and Kent (108).
The BBC reported a 250% increase in dog theft crimes in Suffolk, comparing January to July 2019 and 2020. Sky News reported this as a national figure - this incorrect percentage has since been quoted across national and international media.
There was not a 250% national increase in dog theft crimes or stolen dogs in 2020.
The study also revealed police force inconsistencies in recording dog theft crime, which meant some data were unusable or could not be accessed or analysed. Allen et al (2019) recommended a standardised and transparent approach to recording the theft of a dog by all forces across England and Wales, and classifying dog theft (or pet theft more generally) as a crime in itself under the Sentencing Guidelines associated with the Theft Act 1968.
Dr Daniel Allen and Dr Helen Selby-Fell (2021) are working on new dog theft research. You'll see preliminary findings on this website first.
Our research
