Andrew Gwynne, MP for Denton and Reddish, has backed calls for the Government to do more to tackle cat theft, and has urged Greater Manchester Police to resume its data collections on the crime.
Cat theft is on the rise, with a 40% uptick in thefts since 2021. Despite over 560 cases of cat thefts being reported over the year, just two resulted in prosecution.
Earlier this week, Gwynne joined representatives form Battersea, Cats Protection and the Blue Cross to discuss the issue at a Parliamentary reception. There, Gwynne was told that Greater Manchester Police have stopped recording cat thefts as a specific offence, making it harder to track the prevalence of the problem. Gwynne has pledged to write to GMP to raise the issue, and to request that they resume data collection for the crime.
Gwynne has also called on the Government to bring back its Kept Animals Bill. The Bill, which included a number of new protections for domestic pets, has been long-promised by the Government but has not returned to Parliament since its last reading in September 2022.
Commenting, Andrew Gwynne said:
“As an animal lover with two beloved moggies of my own, I can only imagine how traumatic it must be to have a pet stolen.
It’s a horrible crime, and we need to get tough about tackling it. That’s why I’ll be writing to GMP to request that they properly record cat thefts, and continue to put pressure on the Government to bring back its Kept Animals Bill and give our domestic pets the protection they deserve.”
Pictured: Gwynne at an APGOCats event in Parliament earlier this week.