In a short debate he initiated on the welfare of domestic animals, Guy has called for swift action to introduce a specific crime of animal theft. He said that cats must be included in any new crime as well as dogs - especially given the huge increase in the number of cat thefts over the last few years.
He congratulated the Government on introducing a compulsory microchipping scheme for cats and then said: "The Government's Kept Animals Bill is not going ahead and there will be separate legislation to implement it. A key proposal [of the original Bill] was to tackle the horrible crime of pet theft, specifically of dogs — I am afraid that cats did not get much of a look-in, despite the fact that the wicked crime of cat theft is on the increase, having quadrupled since 2015."
He demanded swift action: "Can the Minister tell us when legislation introducing a specific offence of pet abduction will be brought forward and confirm that it will be in this Parliamentary Session, as there must be no delay? Will he commit to including cats in it from the outset, given that the devastating impact of losing a beloved cat is just as dreadful and painful as the loss of a dog?"
The Minister, Lord Benyon, paid tribute to Guy's work in promoting animal welfare and said that legislation would be introduced in this Parliament, which is great news for all domestic animals.
ENDS
The full debate can be found here
