In the eye of the law, dogs are seen as 'Property', which makes recovering stolen dogs, protecting dogs and preventing harm towards dogs incredibly difficult. As time passes, especially in 2020, dog thefts are on the rise but police are struggling to follow up with cases as dogs are considered property, meaning it is treated as if someone stole your car or your phone... As we all know, dogs are much more than that: Dogs are our companions, friends, family members, not to mention the amazing work assistance dogs can do. If dogs were considered to be  'sentient beings' by the law, it would be easier to prosecute animal abusers and move up dog thefts on the police priority list,  and it would mean that there were more things in place to keep the community safe from irresponsible owners and despicable thieves.