Dog abduction is now a specific criminal offence, thanks to the Pet Abduction Act 2024. But legislation alone won’t keep our dogs safe.
Dogs Today is proud to support Gundog Theft Awareness Week, highlighting the continuing threat of dog theft and the urgent need for better prevention, traceability and enforcement.
One of the biggest weaknesses remains our fragmented microchip system. How can we properly protect stolen dogs when their registration details can potentially be transferred without their original keeper’s consent? And why should owners have to pay to keep legally required contact details up to date?
Debbie Matthews has launched TWO parliamentary petitions calling for practical reforms:
✍️ Prevent stolen pets being re-registered without their original keeper’s consent:
https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/781428
✍️ Make updating microchip contact details free:
https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/781382
Please sign BOTH. It takes just a few minutes, costs nothing, and you simply need to confirm each signature by email.
We’ve long argued that Britain needs a properly joined-up national system for dog identification, traceability and welfare, rather than competing databases that don’t adequately protect dogs or their families.
A microchip should be a dog’s passport to safety, not simply a number that can be transferred to somebody else’s name.
Our dogs can’t sign petitions. We have to do it for them.
Please add your voice and share.
#GundogTheftAwarenessWeek #MicrochipReform #DogTheft #PetAbductionAct #DogsToday
