Aontú Leader Peadar Tóibín has cited the Garda seizure of 32 stolen dogs worth over €150,000 as “underscoring the need for tougher sentencing for theft of a family pet”.
Yesterday (Monday, November 17), AgriLand reported that Gardaí seized 32 dogs and four horses during planned searches in the Baldoyle area of north Co. Dublin as part of ongoing investigations into puppy farms and related criminal activity.
Commenting on this, deputy Tóibín said that the “scourge of animal theft is too common in modern day Ireland”.
The deputy has reiterated his call for all political parties in the Dáil to support the Aontú pet theft bill, which would ensure a minimum of a 10-month prison sentence for anyone convicted of stealing a family pet.
Also Read: Toibín proposes bill with 10 month jail term for stealing a pet dog“Indeed, when we published the bill, the outpouring of support from across the country was astounding,” deputy Tóibín said.
The seizure of stolen dogs and horses in Baldoyle shows that pet theft is not going away and is becoming a viable criminal enterprise for many criminals across the country. Many of the stolen dogs were pregnant, and criminals use their pups to maximise the profits of their threat.
“Many are sold online or in cash-only deals to make Garda investigation more difficult. Gardaí are doing the work of trying to investigate and break up these criminal enterprises, but now the law needs to step up.
“The DSPCA [Dublin Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals] and Dogs Trust who have both supported our bill are doing the work of caring for stolen, abandoned and lost dogs – but we, as politicians, need to step up and aid their work.”
“That is why I am reiterating my call for all political parties in the Dáil to support the Aontú pet theft pill, and begin to end the scourge of pet theft in this country.”