A Buckinghamshire MP is calling for criminals to face up to five years in jail for abducting cats and dogs.

The Pet Abduction Bill, which would apply in England and Northern Ireland, has cleared the House of Commons and been sent to the Lords for further consideration.

It would make it an offence to take a cat or dog from the lawful control of another person, with a maximum prison sentence of five years.

Current legislation regards stolen pets as property theft but campaigners have argued for the emotional value of pets to be recognised, as well as the distress caused to owners when they are stolen. 

Conservative MP for Milton Keynes North Ben Everitt said the bill would resolve “a gap that has existed in law for far too long”, with current legislation not reflecting the true impact of pet abduction.

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Labour has said it “strongly supports” the bill, and the move has also been welcomed by animal welfare charity Cats Protection, with a spokesperson saying it will “finally give pets the full recognition they deserve”.

Police figures show a 6 per cent rise in dog thefts last year, with just one in six found and returned successfully, the lowest level since data tracking began in 2015.

Anne Maynard from Chalfont St Peter, whose Jack Russell named Mouse went missing during a walk at a local golf club in December last year, said her disappearance had “absolutely devastated” the family.

Despite an extensive network of community help, no trace of Mouse has been found, but Mrs Maynard said she would never give up hope.

“You can’t give up. She wouldn’t give up on us, so we’re not going to give up on her. She’s part of our family.”