A Nantwich animal specialist has teamed up with dog owners and businesses to fight for stronger punishments for those guilty of pet theft.
Rachel Rodgers says the recent publicity around the theft of Nantwich labradors Welly and Denzel and a sharp rise in animals being stolen during the pandemic means laws need to change.
Rachel, who runs Nose To Trail, has teamed up with K9 Nation, a community for dogs owners and dog friendly businesses, in a new #LawsforPaws Dogs Deserve Justice campaign.
Under current law, the theft of a pet is covered under the Theft Act, and is treated in the same way as the theft of a laptop or television.
The proposed Pet Theft Reform would give courts access to appropriate custodial sentences to act as a deterrent, provide punishment, and protect the public.
The number of dogs reported stolen in the UK increased by 170%, from 172 in 2019 to 465 in 2020 – and that figure is rising.
Rachel said: “We are incredibly proud to take part in his campaign to help raise awareness of the issue.
“The whole dog business community really cares and are all so desperate to lend their support to help tackle this problem.”
Becky Baker, founder of K9 Nation, said: “There is some great work already being done in the form of The Theft Reform Campaign and the organisations behind it, including Dog Lost and the Stolen and Missing Pets Alliance.
“We don’t want to dilute the focus on what’s already being done, but we do want to help harness the energy of the dog business community so they can educate their customers and amplify the message.”
Nose to Trail and other dog businesses around the UK will be encouraging customers to support the campaign by writing to their local MP, helping to raise money for the great work that Dog Lost does, and signing the latest Government petition.
More information can be found on the campaign homepage https://k9nation.dog/lawsforpaws/
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