If your cat or dog has been stolen it is highly likely that you will not see them again which will be extremely distressing to the vast majority of caregivers. The percentage of 6% comes from the UK but I expect a similar percentage in other countries but I don’t know if other countries are suffering an epidemic of thefts as in Britain.
For example, the Yorkshire Evening Post reported that in Greater London there has been a 63% increase in pet thefts with a sharp rise between 2020 and 2021 from 6.8 to 11.4 thefts per 100,000 people. Thefts are on the rise they say with an 18% increase year-on-year since 2017. Another website (ADT) tells me that there are 4.1 cat thefts per 100,000 people compared to 15.1 for dogs. Theft in general has risen remarkably in the UK with gangs stealing large quantities of food from supermarkets. Car theft is on the increase too. The country has become lawless and I blame the police for sitting on their hands.
One clear problem is that the majority of domestic cats in the UK are allowed outside unsupervised but this is gradually changing which will improve their safety but it will also increase their boredom level because people do not enrich the indoor environment. It’s not good enough I’m afraid.
The 6% figure from the BBC concerns the period until the end of November 2023 as I understand it. In the jurisdiction covered by the Metropolitan Police (Scotland Yard) 654 animals were stolen of which 335 were dogs. The majority of the remaining were cats but other animals include fish and birds.
The Met Police say that people should not leave their pets unattended in gardens and they should microchip them. It seems that sometimes thefts take place in the back yards of their owners.
The London Borough of Brent is the worst area for pet thefts and other boroughs where the numbers are high included: Islington, Lambeth, Bromley, and Haringey.
In 2023 Hounslow had the most thefts with 93 animal stolen between January and November. Last year, 1,713 animals were stolen in London which is the highest number since the Met began keeping records.
Numbers are going to decrease this year apparently with a 9% success rate in recovering animals in 2023 which is welcome.
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Example: Buddy
The BBC gives us an example of a dog being stolen outside a shop in Hayes, west London. The dog’s name is Buddy and he was a support dog for an autistic boy, Ruben. London has become the dog snatching capital of the world it seems. In 2022, 436 dogs were reported stolen with 9% recovered. Overall, the dog recovery rate appears to be a bit higher than the cat recovery rate at 12%.
Buddy’s family used all their efforts to find him without success and then turned to Facebook for help. Volunteers stepped up and posters were printed and distributed over Hayes together with Facebook postings. The pressure from social media postings put pressure on the thieves who abandoned Buddy. He was recovered two days after the commencement of the social media campaign. The power of social media should not be underestimated in comparison to the impotence of the police.
Claire, buddy’s owner says that the police weren’t interested. Recovering Buddy was down to the family. It doesn’t surprise me that the police weren’t interested.
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The theft of a cat or dog is the same as the theft of a car or any other inanimate item. There is no recognition of the sentience of the animal and the emotional connection between animal and person which is a big failure in the system.
There was an attempt in 2021 to make pet theft a specific criminal offence which could take into account the emotional distress caused by theft which in turn would assist judges in applying appropriate sentences to thieves if and when they are caught and convicted.
But this year, the Kept Animals Bill which includes provisions against pet theft was withdrawn by the government. This would appear to be in line with other animal welfare legislation which has been withdrawn or dropped by this government.
All dogs in the UK are legally required to be microchip. The same now applies to cats but as I recall that legislation is yet to be enacted. I think the law will come into force in 2024.
The police say that pet theft should be reported to them but I must say it seems like a pointless exercise unless the owner simply wants a crime number and to make a claim against their insurance.
My thanks to the BBC.
