Aontú Pet Theft Bill reaches second stage in the Dáil on Thursday

Padraig Conlon 14 Dec 2022

Aontú’s Criminal Justice (Theft and Fraud Offences Amendment (Pets) ) Bill 2020 will come before the Dáil tomorrow for its second reading.

Ahead of the vote, Aontú Leader and Meath West TD Peadar Tóibín said:

“Pets are members of the family. The loss or death of a pet is a heart-breaking occasion.

“Any family that has lost a pet or has had a pet die knows the grief that comes with it. Most people would agree that the loss of a pet is not the same as the theft of a laptop or a phone. It is not the same as a mere household or farmyard asset.

“A pet is not the same as an inanimate object. The loss suffered by a family when a pet is stolen is far more impactful. The law should reflect this in terms of deterrent and in terms of penalty.

“During the Covid crisis, the issue of pet theft came into sharp focus for many families in Ireland. Many familes decided to get a family pet. This, amongst other factors saw the price of pets especially dogs increase significantly.

“There was a lucrative market for pet thieves.  Professional criminal gangs made big money from the theft of family pets. I have many stories of thieves leaving marks on the road in chalk or by tying a piece of string to a garden gate to target houses. Thieves often returned after dark to steel the family pet.

“On one occasion Gardaí found 32 stolen dogs worth over €150k. Many pets are sold online or in cash only deals to make Garda investigation more difficult. There are several credible reports of these stolen pets being quickly ferried to Britain”.

“The DSPCA and Dogs Trust who are doing the work of caring for stolen, abandoned, and lost dogs have both supported the Aontú Bill. The purpose of this Bill is to provide for a mandatory 10 month minimum sentence for theft and certain related offences concerning pets”.

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