Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the effect of pet theft on the welfare of the animals that have been stolen.

This Government is committed to ensuring the welfare of animals and will act to protect them further in all circumstances. The Government's Pet Theft Taskforce has been set up to gather evidence to understand the factors that may be contributing to any rise in pets being stolen and will consider the issue from end to end, with the impact on the welfare of the animals being fully considered as one aspect.

In addition, the Animal Welfare (Sentencing) Act 2021 (the Act) was granted Royal Assent on the 29 April 2021. This realises the Government's manifesto commitment to increase the sentences available to our courts for cases of animal cruelty. The Act will come into force on the 29 June 2021 providing one of the toughest sanctions in Europe and strengthening the UK's position as a global leader on animal welfare.

The Act's new maximum sentence of five years imprisonment and/or an unlimited fine will apply to animal cruelty offences, including causing unnecessary suffering to an animal in the process of stealing it.