Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department has taken to tackle increased instances of pet theft during the covid-19 outbreak.

The Government understands the distress caused by the theft of a pet, which is already a criminal offence under the Theft Act 1968 and carries a maximum penalty of 7 years’ imprisonment. We expect the police to record all such crimes reported to them so that they can determine how best to investigate