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Thank you for contacting me about pet theft.
To their owners, pets are cherished members of the family, so I entirely agree with you that stealing one from a loving home is a particularly vicious crime. While I understand that Ministers do not currently believe the creation of a specific offence for pet theft, with a two-year custodial penalty, would be a solution to the problem, they are keen to act in this area and will continue to have discussions with the police and animal welfare organisations.
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