Have you ever been on a walk with your dog(s) and had them taken from you by someone? Have you ever left your dog tied up outside of a restaurant while you go purchase something only to come out and find your dog gone? For many years, dog theft has been increasing in the United States, and it’s becoming an issue we cannot keep avoiding or sweeping under the rug. 

Every year in the U.S., an estimated 2 million domestic animals are victims of dog theft with only up to 10% those dogs being recovered by their owners. Most state laws in the U.S. don’t agree with the concept of considering dog members as a part of one’s family while 92% of pet parents do view their dogs as being members of their family. 

Why does the U.S. law not see kidnapping a dog as a severe criminal offense when kidnapping a person is seen as one? Most of the state laws in the U.S. do not even have specific laws for stolen pets. Dogs are rather viewed as personal property. This would explain why the issue of dog theft will normally fall under larceny laws and a state’s general theft law due to dog theft being viewed as similar to theft of items such as a television, jewelry, clothing, etc. 

There are just 15 states in the U.S. that have addressed dog theft in their criminal codes, and these states are California, Connecticut, Delaware, Louisiana, Michigan, New Hampshire, New York, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Rhode Island, Virginia, Texas, Washington, and West Virginia. 

Each state in the U.S. differ in their criminal charges and penalties regarding the specific criminal codes for dog theft. Dog theft is usually considered to be a misdemeanor in most states, and the consequences will typically include pretty small fines with not much jail time (or no jail time at all). 

Please sign your name on this petition, and spread it on social media platforms, to demand that dog theft be recognized as a criminal offense in every state in the United States of America. There must be punishment for people who steal them as they are not property but part of many people’s families. Thank you!