Dog-loving MP backs bill to clamp down on pet thieves and punish dog snatchers
Wolverhampton North East MP Jane Stevenson, who resigned from the Government this week, has used her new-found freedom to help animals in danger.
Mrs Stevenson spoke in Parliament on Friday concerning the Pet Abduction Bill, which aims to clamp down on pet thefts and animal abuse by introducing harsher sentences.
When sentencing dog snatchers and pet thieves the law refers to the cost of animals, but not their value to their owners, and often leads to a slap on the wrist for offenders.
Mrs Stevenson said: "Everywhere in my constituency, I meet people who campaign on behalf of pets, proud pet lovers and fantastic volunteers. A few weeks ago, I met people from Ashmore Rescue for Cats, who do such amazing work. Its volunteers give up so much time to protect and rescue local cats.
"I have also met local Cats Protection officers and volunteers in Wolverhampton, all of whom have pushed for this bill, and I am proud to mention them in the Chamber today."
Mrs Stevenson, who left her post as a PPS due to the Government's controversial Rwanda bill on Tuesday, told fellow MPs about her love for her own dogs.
She said: "The value of our pets to us is why this bill is so important. My two Cavalier spaniels, Cromwell and Bertie, are about to be 12. They have very few teeth left and look a bit ragged around the edges, but to me they are the most valuable thing in my household, in my possession.
"If someone stole my dogs, they would face little or no punishment, because the financial value of my dogs is nothing - if anything, they are a liability, because of ever-growing vets’ bills and the endless treatments that they need. They have no financial value, but this bill will reflect the distress that my family and I would feel, and certainly my two dogs would feel, if they were to be abducted."
The Pet Abduction Bill had its second reading in the House of Commons on Friday and could become law by the end of the year.
The Dogs Trust thanked the MP for her contribution.
A statement said: "Currently the monetary value of a pet influences the sentence for pet theft. Jane spoke about her older dogs who have no monetary value. This bill will take into account the emotional distress to animals and owners, meaning harsh sentences for pet abduction."
The MP is also patron of the Conservative Animal Welfare Foundation and continues to campaign on hunting trophies and puppy smuggling. Her bill to ban inhumane glue traps, passed in 2022, comes into effect in April.
