It might be tempting to ask whether spending parliamentary time on a bill that tackles pet theft is a little indulgent. Do we really need such legislation, with all that’s going on at the moment? But ask any victim of this pernicious crime and they will leave you in no doubt that there is nothing trivial about losing a beloved pet to theft.
Sitting in the public gallery for the second reading of Conservative MP Anna Firth’s pet abduction bill, which would apply in England and Northern Ireland, I was struck by how convivial and almost jocular the atmosphere was on the floor of the house. Here was a bill that united parties of all colours, as hon members spoke movingly of their unquestionable love and devotion to their pets, expressed concern that a well-meaning “Granny Miaow” would not be prosecuted simply for rescuing stray cats from the streets, and joked that their dogs had been robbed of a prize at the Westminster dog show.
