Pet Thefts / Abductions

Request Number: FOI/16601

Category: Incident and Crime Statistics - Burglary and Theft

Subject: Pet Thefts / Abductions

Request and Answer: 
Your request for information has now been considered. In respect of Section 1(1)(a) of the Freedom of Information Act, we can confirm that the Police Service of Northern Ireland does hold the information you have requested to which your request relates. The decision has been taken to disclose the following.

Please note the questions for cat and dog have been grouped together although the data has been provided separately. 

Question 1 (For Cat) 
What were the total number of cat theft/abduction crimes in 2024, and in 2025 (with monthly breakdowns if possible)? 

Question 1 (For Dog) 
What were the total number of dog theft/abduction crimes in 2024, and in 2025 (with monthly breakdowns if possible)? 

Answers 1 
The following table is based on all recorded pet abduction offences, and additionally all recorded burglary, robbery and theft offences where property described as cat or dog was classified as stolen, during the period January 2024 - November 2025.  

Please Note:  This information is based on data extracted from a live system, and may be subject to change.  It is dependent on the information having been input into the system in such a way as to identify those records that are relevant.

Question 2 (For Cat)
What was the outcome (charge/summons, community resolution, active investigation, evidential difficulties, no suspect identified) for each cat theft/abduction crime in 2024, and 2025? 

Question 2 (For Dog) 
What was the outcome (charge/summons, community resolution, active investigation, evidential difficulties, no suspect identified) for each cat theft/abduction crime in 2024, and 2025? 

Answers
Please note that in the table below, the currently assigned outcome may be updated as investigations are completed or new information becomes available. 

Questions 3 A and B (For Cat) 
Please show how many of the recorded crime outcomes in 2024 and 2025 are under:
a) The Theft Act 1968
b) The Pet Abduction Act 2024

Questions 3 A and B (For Dog) 
Please show how many of the recorded crime outcomes in 2024 and 2025 are under:
a) The Theft Act 1968
b) The Pet Abduction Act 2024

Answers
The Theft Act 1968 does not apply to Northern Ireland.  

Please see the information requested in the table below and note that the data is therefore split by those offences under the Pet Abduction Act 2024, and all other burglary, robbery and theft offences. 

Please Note:  This information is based on data extracted from a live system, and may be subject to change.  It is dependent on the information having been input into the system in such a way as to identify those records that are relevant.

Question 4 (For Cat) 
How many cats were listed with each dog theft/abduction crime in 2024 and 2025?

Question 4 (For Dog) 
How many dogs were listed with each dog theft/abduction crime in 2024 and 2025?

Question 5 (For Cat)
Can details about stolen/abducted cat breed, gender, age, and location of theft also be provided for 2024 and 2025 please?

Question 5 (For Dog)
Can details about stolen/abducted dog breed, gender, age, and location of theft (walk, home, garden, outside shop, from car etc) also be provided for 2024 and 2025 please? 

Answers
PSNI do not hold the information as requested in questions 4 and we can only provide a data set which provides the number of cats or dogs stolen as a single offence which may involve multiple items of property stolen.

In the separate PDF document, the data provided is all recorded pet abduction offences and all recorded burglary robbery and theft offences where property was described as a ‘cat’ or ‘dog’ classified as stolen during the period January 2024 – November 2025. 

However the data may be found in a number of fields in a combination of ‘quantity and / or remarks fields’ which are not consistently completed or entered. Information on the type and/or breed of the cat or dog may be found in the Property Description fields, or any of the free text entry fields Common Name and Remarks. 

Please Note:  This information is based on data extracted from a live system, and may be subject to change.  It is dependent on the information having been input into the system in such a way as to identify those records that are relevant.