Pet theft in Australia - Tougher penalties to deter

To introduce a Pet Theft Law.

We want stronger and tougher pet theft legislation to increase the punishment to those involved in the theft of a dog, cat, rabbit, reptile, ferret, bird or horse.
We want pets and horses to be legally regarded as living members of the family and not as objects or property.

We want to see pet theft punishment set somewhere between kidnapping and the theft of property or an object. The personal value of a pet is much higher than its saleable value and the law needs to reflect this.

We want a mandatory prison sentence punishment for anyone who steals pets with the purpose of extracting a ransom, or seeking reward for the safe return of those animals, or with the intention of harming it or with the intention of not returning it to its rightful owner.

We want police and courts to have tougher and stronger powers and to prioritise the theft of pets over the theft of objects.