MEMBERS of the public are being asked to support a national crackdown on pet theft.

Last week, the Government announced the creation of a new pet theft taskforce as part of its action plan for animal welfare.

The taskforce will undertake research and gather evidence to understand the scale of the issue and will make clear recommendations on ways to improve the situation across the nation.

Now dog welfare organisation The Kennel Club is urging the public to back the efforts to reduce pet theft across the country.

To enable people to share their views and play their part in the crackdown, The Kennel Club has produced a template letter – helping owners to raise their concerns with their MP and to spur Government to change the law.

Dr Ed Hayes, head of public affairs at The Kennel Club, said: “We warmly welcome the Government’s announcement of the taskforce and their commitment to addressing this issue.

“We are calling for the Government to ensure longer, more proportionate sentences are available for those guilty of this deeply upsetting crime.

“Currently, the theft of a pet is treated no more seriously than the theft of a mobile phone, despite the utter heartbreak it causes.

"Reform is desperately needed to ensure that sentencing provisions reflect a dog’s sentience and their role within their family, as well as fully taking into account the emotional harm inflicted on the victims of this crime.

"With unprecedented levels of demand for puppies during the pandemic, accompanied by an eye-watering increase in prices, it’s vital that more transparent data is collected to highlight the true extent of the issue and improve outcomes.

"According to our data, police were unable to identify a suspect in nearly 60 per cent of cases between 2015 and 2020, and only took action against offenders in six per cent of cases.

"If the Government was to allocate more resources to this issue and ensure recording of incidents was standardised, we would have greater transparency, a better idea of how severe the issue is, and potentially more stolen dogs reunited with their owners.

"We are urging anyone who wishes to see further action on this issue to download our template letter, which is available on our website, and join us in calling for a change in the law for the sake of the nation’s pets."

The downloadable template letter, advice on preventing dog theft and further information on The Kennel Club’s campaign is available on the organisation’s website: thekennelclub.org.uk/dogtheft.