New laws to jail dog-nappers to be delayed and may even be shelved for good

PLANS to jail dog-napping thieves are set to be delayed amid fears they will be shelved for good Trending In The News can reveal.

New tough laws that would make pet theft a crime for the first time are set to be kicked into the long grass alongside powers to crackdown on puppy smugglers.

Pet nabbers would be jailed for up to five years to combat the spate of heart wreching thefts of beloved family pooches under proposals.

But PM Rishi Sunak looks set to delay the landmark Animal Welfare Bill with insiders claiming there is not enough time in Parliament to get the new laws through.

Senior Tories fear this will be the death-knell of the law, which would also ban the export of living animals to gruesome foreign abattoirs, championed as a major Brexit bonus.

Ex-environment Sec George Eustice, told Trending In The News: “The Animal Welfare Bill is packed with manifesto commitments and enjoys near universal support among the public.

“The Prime Minister must stick to his leadership pledge and allow the Bill to resume its passage through Parliament.

“Now that we have left the EU and become a self governing country again, our parliament must develop the maturity to debate contentious or emotive issues responsibly.”

Lorraine Platt, chief of the Conservative Animal Welfare Foundation added: “It has been over a year since the Kept Animals Bill last progressed, and we are concerned that it may be lost altogether.”

Paula Boyden, Dogs Trust Veterinary Director, called on ministers to “hasten to progress the Kept Animals Bill.”

A government spokesman said: “We already have some of the highest animal welfare standards in the world.

“The Kept Animals Bill will bring in some of the world’s strongest protections for pets, livestock and kept wild animals.”

They added it was normal for bills to be delayed over constraints with parliamentary time.