Key Facts

• Clause 1 deals with the offence of dog abduction in England and Northern Ireland.
• It is not an offence if a dog enters a household after two people have started living together.
• Members of the public who find stray dogs must return them to their owners or local authority within 96 hours, otherwise they may face criminal consequences.
• Subsection (6) of clause 1 moves the burden of proof onto the prosecution if sufficient evidence of a defence is established.
• A dog abduction offence carries a maximum term of five years’ imprisonment or a fine, with summary conviction penalties varying by region.
• Clause 2 protects cats from unlawful taking but not detaining, reflecting their free-roaming nature.
• Clause 3 allows for future amendments to extend the offences to other species based on evidence of significant increases in incidents.
• The Pet Abduction Bill criminalizes the abduction of cats and dogs.
• Maximum penalty is up to five years in prison or a fine.
• Clause 6 amendment sets commencement date three months after passage.
• The Pet Abduction Act 2024 sets out provisions related to dog and cat abduction.
• Police forces are expected to use their powers to investigate and enforce these new offences.
• A separate recording system will be implemented for tracking abductions across different police forces.