As introduced, this Bill makes dog theft a specific statutory offence with penalties of up to five years in prison and/or an unlimited fine. The Bill also allows people who are victims of dog theft to give a victim statement to the court. In this, they can express the impact the crime has had on them physically, emotionally, and financially.
The Bill also makes the theft of an assistance dog, an aggravated offence. This is a more serious issue and, as a result, sentences given may be more severe. This reflects the vital day-to-day services assistance dogs provide, such as helping owners get around safely, and the greater impact the theft of such a dog would have on the victim of the crime.
The Bill asks the Scottish Government to collect data on dog theft and to publish and lay before the Parliament an annual report which includes that data.
Finally, the Bill asks Scottish Ministers to review how the Act is working after five years.
As with all Bills, the Finance and Public Administration Committee invites written evidence on the estimated financial implications of the Bill as set out in its accompanying Financial Memorandum (FM).
Read the FM for this Bill: Financial Memorandum.
The Committee has launched a call for views on the Financial Memorandum of the Bill. The closing date for submissions is Monday 21 April 2025.
You can submit your views to the Committee on Citizen Space.