Boris Johnson s government is looking at tough punishments for thieves or people who abandon their pets.
The Prime Minister, 56, was revealed today to have taken up the cause amid fears many canines could suffer when people go back to work following months at home during lockdown.
His government s further intervention came on the day his former adviser Dominic Cummings is appearing before MPs, where he is expected to metaphorically maul Mr Johnson.
The criminal phenomenon of Dognapping soared during lockdown as people stuck at home were desperate for companionship.
Now plans to prosecute people under animal welfare laws instead of the Theft Act 1968 are being considered.
A dog thief has been caught on camera fleeing with a family s pedigree XL American bully and bulldog after breaking into their home when they were out.
The man broke into the home of Cavan Dixon and girlfriend Brooklynn Robert in King s Heath, Birmingham, to steal the dogs last Friday.
Footage shows the crook walking calmly through a car park at around midday with the animals, each worth thousands of pounds.
In another shot he is carrying the younger dog, Amercian Bully XL, Nitrous, as English bulldog Mercury runs to catch up.
The thief broke into the home of Cavan Dixon and girlfriend Brooklynn Robert in King s Heath, Birmingham, to steal the dogs last Friday
A taskforce has been set up by the Government to put a stop to ‘cynical and nasty’ pet theft.
Soaring demand for pets over lockdown is said to have led to a surge in criminals stealing dogs.
The taskforce will look into what contributes to the increase in thefts and recommend solutions.
One dog, three-year-old sprocker spaniel Ted, was taken in December while being walked in South London
It will consist of officials from the Department for Environment, the Home Office, the Ministry of Justice and the police, and will seek input from animal welfare groups.
Last year an estimated 2,438 dogs were reported as stolen in the UK, according to research by Direct Line Pet Insurance.
Share To me it seems likely that her theft was the work of an organised crime group, Cintia said.
When the family bought honey two years ago, the family paid £550. Now the same breeder is charging £2,500 for pups.
Cintia said she s hoping her four-year-old will forget Honey being taken and the theft has impacted her entire family
How lockdown has triggered a spike in dog thefts
Demand for dogs during the Covid-19 crisis has triggered a reported 170 per cent rise in thefts across the country in the past year, with some breeds fetching up to £4,000 each – four times their pre-pandemic price.
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