Until August 2024, a stolen dog or cat was recorded in law like any other stolen property. The Pet Abduction Act 2024 changed that by creating offences aimed specifically at taking pets from their owners. The rules depend on where the animal and the person taking it are at the time. This guide sets out what the Act says, based on the legislation itself and on statements from Cats Protection and the Northern Ireland Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA). It is general information, not legal advice.
What the Act makes an offence
Section 1 creates the offence of dog abduction. A person commits it by taking a dog so as to remove it from the lawful control of any person, or by detaining a dog so as to keep it from the lawful control of anyone entitled to have it. Section 2 creates the offence of cat abduction, which covers taking a cat only, not detaining one. Section 1 also explains that taking and detaining include causing a dog to accompany, or remain with, the person.
Where it applies: England and Northern Ireland
Section 5 says the Act extends to England and Wales and to Northern Ireland. However, both offences require that the person and the animal are both in England or Northern Ireland when the animal is taken or detained. Taking a pet in Scotland is outside the Act altogether, and because of that location test these two offences do not apply to conduct in Wales either. Scottish and Welsh owners should not assume the same protection exists. The offences came into force on 24 August 2024, and DAERA announced the start date for Northern Ireland on 22 August 2024.
Penalties
On conviction on indictment the maximum is five years’ imprisonment, a fine, or both. On summary conviction in England the sentence is imprisonment up to the magistrates’ court limit, a fine, or both, while in Northern Ireland the limit is 12 months, a fine not exceeding the statutory maximum, or both. DAERA describes the five-year maximum as aligned with the most serious existing animal welfare offences in Northern Ireland, and says the law treats pets as sentient beings, allowing courts to prioritise the impact on the animal when sentencing.
Defences and exceptions
The Act is not aimed at people who help animals they do not own. DAERA says it excludes genuinely kind behaviour towards animals people do not own. The main protections are:
- A person charged with either offence can show they had lawful authority or a reasonable excuse.
- In England, someone charged with detaining a dog can show that they believed it was a stray, followed the procedure under the Environmental Protection Act 1990 and kept it for under 96 hours.
- In Northern Ireland, the equivalent stray-dog defence depends on following the Dogs (Northern Ireland) Order 1983, including giving proper notice and arranging collection.
- The offence does not apply to a person who previously shared a household with the owner and the pet, who lived with the owner before the pet arrived, and who took the animal when or after they separated.
Once a defendant raises enough evidence of a defence, the prosecution must disprove it beyond reasonable doubt.
Other animals
Section 3 lets the appropriate national authority extend the offences to further species by regulations, but only where animals of that species are commonly kept as pets and there is evidence that unlawful taking or detaining is significant or increasing significantly. Species other than dogs and cats are not covered unless such regulations are made.
What it means for owners
Cats Protection states that stolen animals had simply been recorded as theft of property, in the same category as a mobile phone or a bike, and that recording pet theft separately will help police identify at-risk breeds and areas. For owners, proof of ownership matters. GOV.UK says dogs must be microchipped by eight weeks old and registered on an approved database, that the owner is responsible for keeping the details current after a move, and that in England cats must be microchipped by 20 weeks old. The legal detail is in our microchipping guide, and the practical steps after a disappearance are in our missing pet guide.
Frequently asked questions
Does the Act apply in Scotland? No. The offences apply only where the person and the animal are both in England or Northern Ireland.
Is finding a stray and keeping it an offence? Only detaining a dog so as to keep it from someone entitled to it is an offence, and defences exist for a person who believed the dog was a stray and followed the statutory procedure.
Does the Act cover a dispute after a break-up? Not where the person previously shared a household with the owner and the pet and took it on or after separation.
The bottom line
The Pet Abduction Act 2024 makes taking a dog or cat, or detaining a dog, a specific offence carrying up to five years’ imprisonment, but only where the person and the animal are in England or Northern Ireland. Defences protect genuine finders and separating households. Keeping microchip details current is the simplest way for an owner to show who a pet belongs to.
Sources
- legislation.gov.uk, “Pet Abduction Act 2024, section 1: Dog abduction”
- legislation.gov.uk, “Pet Abduction Act 2024, section 2: Cat abduction”
- legislation.gov.uk, “Pet Abduction Act 2024, section 3: Abduction of other animals commonly kept as pets”
- legislation.gov.uk, “Pet Abduction Act 2024, section 5: Extent”
- DAERA, “Muir welcomes introduction of new Pet Abduction offences in Northern Ireland”
- Cats Protection, “Pets no longer an easy target for criminal profiteers thanks to Pet Abduction Act”
- GOV.UK, “Get your dog microchipped”