Holly Cairns
Question:1582. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Justice the steps that are being taken to address dog thefts; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41033/22]
View answerTuesday, 26 July 2022
Questions (1582)
Written answers
Pet theft is a very cruel crime which causes significant trauma for pet owners. I fully appreciate the strong emotional attachment we all have to our pets and that theft not only leads to their loss in our lives, but also a high level of concern for their welfare.
It is important to emphasise that theft offences already apply to this crime, and can carry very heavy penalties. The Criminal Justice (Theft and Fraud Offences) Act 2001 provides for a maximum sentence of 10 years imprisonment in the case of offences of theft and handling of stolen property; while a maximum sentence of 5 years imprisonment is provided for the offence of possession of stolen property.
From an enforcement perspective, An Garda Síochána take this issue very seriously and have conducted several important actions against those responsible. Gardaí have also disseminated information through the national Crime Prevention Officer Network regarding keeping animals secure and preventing these forms of theft. The Garda National Crime Prevention Unit's advice on pet safety, which is in line with the advice from animal welfare groups and animal insurance companies about keeping animals safe, can be viewed on the Garda website.
I would like to emphasise the importance of microchipping. Every dog must be microchipped by the time it reaches 12 weeks of age, or earlier if it is sold or moved from its place of birth (Microchipping of Dogs Regulations 2015), and the microchip must be registered with an authorised database. Microchipping of all dogs protects the animals’ welfare, and assists with speedy identification of lost or stolen dogs and their owners. It is an offence to keep a dog over 12 weeks that has not been chipped and it is an offence to sell such a dog. Microchips can be easily checked at vets and by Gardaí. They are by far and away the most effective means of tracking and identifying dogs.
The Department of Agriculture have also made regulations covering the advertising for sale of animals under the Animal Welfare (Sale or supply of pet animals) Regulations 2019.
All that said, I am pleased to say that the situation in relation to dog theft has improved considerably this year, as can be seen from the table under. As the Deputy will recall, there was a significant increase in dog thefts during Covid, as the price of dogs rose due to increased demand. Now that people are no longer restricted to their own homes, that demand would appear to have lessened and combined with the measures referred to above, the number of dog thefts has reduced to pre-Covid levels with on average one incident of dog theft per county in the first half of this year.
I will, of course, continue to monitor the situation to see if any further action is required.
|
2018 |
2019 |
2020 |
2021 |
2022* |
|
|
Dog Theft Incidents |
60 |
70 |
121 |
116 |
25 |
|
Stolen Dogs |
145 |
204 |
228 |
280 |
41 |
*2022 information is up to and inclusive of 05 July 2022 Figures are operational and subject to change.