A vet has urged the Government to introduce harsher sentences for pet theft, in order to better reflect the “emotional damage” of having a pet stolen. 

Pet theft is considered a serious crime by Gardaí and conviction can lead to a prison sentence of up to 10 years in prison. 

However, the law typically considers a pet as similar to any other object stolen from its owner. 

On Newstalk Breakfast, vet Pete Wedderburn argued that pets need to be recognised by the law as “living beings or members of the family”.  

 “What that means is that the penalties that are given and the gravity which the law takes pet theft is not proportional to the emotional damage that theft does,” he said. 

“As far as families are concerned, it’s as if one of their family members has been kidnapped. 

“It’s a lot, lot more than just an object being taken away from them and the law doesn’t recognise that.”

A cocker spaniel on a sofa. Picture by: Alamy.com.

Mr Wedderburn added that while sentencing guidelines are “difficult to negotiate and organise”, they can and should be changed. 

“But there should at least be some sort of sentencing guidelines that recognise the emotional value,” he said. 

“Because that’s the really big difference. 

“I don’t know if it means you have to have a specific law for pets only; I do think that they need to be separated out as a subcategory of property - if you like - having a much greater value than their monetary value. 

“Because the monetary value of a pet is often quite low; if sentencing is carried out on the monetary value, it’s not appropriate.” 

A border collie dog in the sea. Picture by: Alamy.com.

One woman whose family pet was stolen in a house robbery recently told Lunchtime Live that the theft was “just heartbreaking”. 

“She’s like my Mum’s shadow; I’m just so nervous about her being away from my Mum,” Sophie Murray said. 

“Who has her? What condition is she in? It’s frightening. 

“I know my Mum can’t stop thinking about what state she might be in because she can barely leave my Mum.”

Main image: A boy with his dog. Picture by: Alamy.com.