Progress in 2021:
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February 12, 2021: Home Secretary Priti Patel MP tells LBC Radio she is 'looking at' tougher pet theft measures.
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February 10, 2021: National Police Chiefs' Council (NPCC) press release, 'Police encourage dog owners to take extra precautions'.
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February 10, 2021: Tom Hunt MP and Siobhan Baillie MP sent an open letter to the Sentencing Council asking them to amend the sentencing guidelines for pet theft.
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February 9, 2021: Sir Iain Duncan Smith MP tells LBC Radio he wants to 'Make Pet Theft A Specific Criminal Offence'.
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January 12, 2021: Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park, The Minister of State, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Conservative) responds to question from Baroness Bakewell of Harding and Mandeville (Liberal Democrat) about pet theft.
October 19, 2020
Pet Theft Reform Parlimentary Debate
A debate was held in Westminster Hall at 4.30pm on Monday 19th October 2020 on two e-petitions concerning pet theft reform. Debate chaired by Sir David Amess MP and opened by Tom Hunt MP - full transcript here. Click this link for the Commons Library debate pack.
September 4, 2020
Government petition closed with 143,633 signatures.
June 3, 2020
Pet Theft Reform Discussion with Petitions Committee
On 3 June, Petitions Committee member Tom Hunt MP held a video call with Dr Daniel Allen, an animal geographer who started a petition calling for tighter laws on pet theft, and other campaigners on this issue. The petition was due to be debated in Parliament before Westminster Hall sittings, where petitions debates are held, had to be suspended due to social distancing rules.
September 13, 2019
Government petition closed with 117,453 signatures.
February 26, 2019
September 11, 2018
Debbie Matthews, Jayne Hayes, Gareth Johnson MP, Dr Daniel Allen, Ross Thomson MP, Professor John Cooper QC and Richard Jordan deliver the Pet Theft Reform petition to 10 Downing Street.
August 8, 2018
Government petition closed with 107,352 signatures.
July 3, 2018
Ten Minute Rule Bill, 'Pets (Theft) Bill'. Sponsored by Ross Thomson MP, drafted by Professor John Cooper QC.
Click this link for more information on the Pets (Theft) Bill 2017-2019.
July 2, 2018
Dr Daniel Allen's petition to 'Reclassify the theft of a pet to a specific crime in its own right' gained 107,352 signatures. The debate, chaired by Mike Hill MP, took place on Monday 2 July 2018 at 4.30pm. The full debate video, transcript and research are available here.
July 2, 2018
Pet Theft Reform team and supporters at Westminster Hall. Gareth Johnson MP sponsored the MP drop-in, this was followed by the House of Commons petitions committee debate.
