Following a "worrying" spike in pet theft across the UK during lockdown, pet abduction is now set to become a new criminal offense.
Whilst stolen animals are currently treated as little more than lost property, this is all set to change as an upcoming legislation change is to take into account the emotional distress caused by the theft of a pet.
According to messaging coming from the Westminster government, pet abduction will be categorised as a new offence: prioritising the welfare of the missing animal as well as giving police greater powers to enable them to track down offenders and follow incidents more closely.
The taskforce’s report said that the price for five of the UK’s most desirable dog breeds grew “significantly” / Imaget: Unsplash (Graham Holtshausen)
Whilst sentencing guidelines are yet to be finalised, it's previously been suggested that new jail times for the offence could be set at around 5 years.
The new proposed legislation has come from a string of recommendations that have been put forward to the government in a report by the pet theft task force, first set up in May of this year to tackle the alarming rise in pet theft incidents that occurred during the successive lockdowns of 2020.
The new advising body is comprised of government officials, police, prosecutors, and local authorities and has received evidence from After receiving evidence from animal welfare groups, campaigners, academics and other experts.
Speaking on the new legislation proposals, Chief Executive at the RSPCA Chris Sherwood said that the introduction of new legislation goes a long way towards acknowledging the "seriousness" of the crime.
The new proposed legislation has come from a string of recommendations that have been put forward to the government in a report by the pet theft task force / Image: Pixabay
“We hope this will encourage courts to hand out much tougher sentences to pet thieves,” he added.
According to the task force, around 2,000 dogs were reported stolen last year and roughly seven in 10 pet thefts recorded by the police involved dogs.
“Pet owners shouldn’t have to live in fear, and I am pleased this report acknowledges the unique distress caused by this crime," said Environment Secretary George Eustice.
“Its recommendations will reassure pet owners, help the police to tackle pet theft, and deliver justice for victims.”
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Get Baked’s viral ‘Bertha’ cake has a sister on the way – and she sounds just as cheeky
She's big, she's green and she's ready to ruin your figure.
A lot of you will have seen the viral ‘Bertha’ cake by Leeds born beloved sweet treat specialists Get Baked.
They recently opened another site in Manchester's Northern Quarter, where queues literally formed round the block of hungry punters wanting to get their hands on the infamous sugary treats.
And now it's going to happen all over again, as they've recently unveiled their newest flavour which is sure to go down a storm.
We’ll give you a hint: it’s a current food and drink trend that’s about as big as Bertha herself – it’s not matcha, it’s not hot honey (duh), and it’s not Guinness…
Images: Get Baked
Yes—scratch that; HELL YES!Get Baked is set to welcome Bertha’s equally beautiful twin sister, and she’s officially a pistachio girlie.
Having started out life simply as ‘Bruce’, after taking inspiration from the iconic scene from Matilda, this thing has become a phenomenon in its own right, and who doesn’t like more flavours of a good thing?
Probably one of the biggest foodie crazes going at the minute, thanks to the popularity of pistachio cream, cookies, lattes and the similar social media sensation that is the ‘Dubai Pistachio Bar' people are rather fittingly going nuts for this particular flavour of almost absolutely anything.
With that in mind, the Leeds-born bakery and dessert shop – founded by Rich Myers over in Headingley back in 2011 – have shown no hesitation in hopping on the bandwagon and creating a new twist on their own viral menu item.
Teasing the full details in a post on their Instagram this week, they wrote: “What’s big, green, and is going to destroy your life in a couple of weeks’ time? Pistachio Bertha. Strictly limited to 5,000 slices. Coming oh so soon. GB.”
In case you were wondering just how mad those with a sweet tooth could possibly go for a slice of cake, just look at the recent queues when they finally launched in Manchester city centre:
Speaking on the grand opening here on our turf and his partner Amy’s hometown, Myers said simply: “Manchester, what a launch. Thanks for much for the warm welcome. Stay baked.”
Leeds Tattoo Expo to return to the First Direct Arena for 10th anniversary
Clementine Hall
The tenth annual Leeds Tattoo Expo will showcase some of the best in tattooing both local and internationally.
If you fancy getting yourself a fancy new bit of ink, then look no further than the iconic Leeds Tattoo Expo that will be returning to the First Direct Arena this June.
Taking place on Saturday 7 and Sunday 8 June 2025, over 200 tattooists and 70 traders will be flocking to the city to show off their skills.
And not only that, but there’ll also be a whole host of market traders for you to browse as well as live music to have a boogie to.
The artists will be tattooing with options for both pre-booked appointments and walk ups available throughout the weekend.
Image: Leeds Tattoo Expo
There will also be a piercer, tooth gems and a henna artist ready to adorn your body.
Alongside getting tattooed, there’s plenty to do and to see over the whole weekend; there'll be an alternative drawing class, an illustrators market with kids’ workshops provided by Art Gecko, an art fusion event on the main stage, burlesque performances and competitions, a small vintage clothing pop-up, fire breathing and break dancing demonstrations in the square outside the arena.
The annual tattoo competitions will also be taking place each evening, where tattooists showcase their work to a panel of judges, sponsored by Killer Ink!
To celebrate Leeds Tattoo Expo's tenth anniversary, they'll be hosting a Pre-Party at Belgrave Music Hall on Thursday 5 June which is a completely free entry event complete with live music and free pizza.
You can find out more about the event and book your tickets here via the First Direct Arena's website.
Georgina Pellant -
3rd September 2021 
