Part of 2. Questions to the Counsel General and Minister for Delivery – in the Senedd at 2:58 pm on 21 January 2025.
Carolyn Thomas
Labour
2:58,
21 January 2025
I did try to bring the pet abduction Bill forward, recognising that, very often, theft is just heard in the magistrates' court and sentencing is not high enough. But pets are actually priceless. Even when heard in the magistrates' court, sentencing is not strict enough; they usually have suspended sentences. I'd like to just read this out to you: 'Losing Angel was like losing my life. Angel was my best friend. I spent more than £13,000 trying to get her back. I remortgaged our house, took unpaid leave, I didn't work for a long time. I couldn't concentrate. I started smoking again, lost weight, and ended up in divorce.' Five years on, Dawn still has no closure on this. I thank Rhys for raising this, and I do hope that a line could be actually made. I believe that Professor John Cooper KC asked if a tweak to the existing theft Act could be made. Apparently, mushrooms and wild animals are already detailed, so why not pets? The word 'property' makes pet owners uncomfortable, because pets are more than just property. So, if you could take that forward for me and for everybody here that spoke on it, that would be really appreciated. Thank you.
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