In 2023, more than 20,000 dogs were stolen in France. Some regions are more affected than others, such as Île-de-France, where several dogs were kidnapped in a few weeks. Since the beginning of October, five have disappeared.
Dog theft is a scourge which today hardly spares any region. Last year across France, 20,454 animals were stolen from their owners, right in front of their eyes or during a brief moment of inattention. In Île-de-France since the beginning of October, five dogs have been stolen.
Having your pet stolen is a particularly traumatic experience for owners. Five months ago, this happened to Marilyne’s mother while she was walking her dog Tiki in a park on Avenue Foch in Paris.
“I never found her”
“She turns around and doesn’t see her at the usual time. She starts calling her and clapping her hands because that was her reminder. Nothing. No Tiki, so she starts running all the way down Avenue Foch and finally twenty minutes she calls me and says “Tiki has disappeared, Tiki has disappeared”, says Marilyne very moved at the microphone on BFMTV.
The young woman then decides to go there to participate in the research and to support her distraught mother. Despite all the persistence in the world, Tiki is no longer around. “I never found her.”
20,454 dogs stolen in 2023
According to several associations, these figures do not reflect the reality of the scourge. Dog owners, for example, would not report the theft of their animals on the ministry’s platform dedicated specifically to this.
Purebred dogs that can be resold or seen as breeding tools: the reasons for theft can be several. A point that Cécile, a volunteer at the animal protection brigade interviewed by BFMTV, wanted to clarify.
“It can be opportunistic and then the dog is stolen either to keep it or to ask for a ransom,” explains Cécile, “it can also be anything that fighting dogs and dogs can be stolen to be used for begging. “
Beings gifted with sensitivity
The possible recourse in the event of theft is ultimately very limited. In the Civil Code, since 2015, the dog has been considered a “living being endowed with sensitivity”. However, it still remains in the eyes of the law an “object”. Criminally speaking, no specific status exists for the animal: there will therefore be no consequences at this level.
Having your dog stolen is in every way similar to having a handbag stolen: it is punishable by three years in prison and a fine of 45,000 euros. A disturbing comparison for the master victims.
