%0 Journal Article
%T Dog Theft: A Case for Tougher Sentencing Legislation
%A Lauren K. Harris
%J Archive of "Animals : an Open Access Journal from MDPI".
%D 2018
%R 10.3390/ani8050078
%X The Sentencing Council (England and Wales) currently considers dogs to be ˇ°propertyˇ±. This means that if someone steals a dog, they may be punished in the same way as someone who steals a non-living object, like a mobile phone or a piece of furniture. This review argues that losing a dog is very different to losing a non-living object, and that many people consider their dog to be a friend or a family member, not just a ˇ°possessionˇ±. The review concludes that that people who steal dogs should be punished in a way that reflects the emotional harm that can be caused to victims of dog theft
%K law
%K companion animals
%K dogs
%K human-animal bond
%K ethics
%U https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5981289/