Introducing our latest recruit, 11-week-old Miss Moneypenny, alias Penny; currently with a licence to widdle on the floor. This is her very first day of filming. She is on-set helping to make an information film to highlight the issue of animal thefts across the UK.
As dog thefts soar, owners and charities are calling for much tougher penalties on perpetrators. We hope that the campaign will illustrate just how serious this crime is and the terrible effects it can have on pet owners. People see their dog as a priceless family member. Having a dog is stolen is a sudden, terrible and traumatic experience; one of loss mixed with grief. It is a terrible time from which many owners never fully recover – even if they get their pet back.
This campaign – called ‘Pets Not Property’ – is a series of 20-second information films designed to drive home just how shameful a crime this is.
Pet owners are frustrated that their beloved pet friend is being regarded by the law as mere property, like a mobile phone or a car; material objects that can be replaced. And even if the perpetrator is caught, the punishments are relatively lenient – maybe just a fine. According to UK campaign group Pet Theft Reform (2019), only 1% of dog thefts had led to a successful prosecution. Our series of films, due to be finished this year, will raise awareness of pet theft – and if they make even just one person have second thoughts about stealing a pet, then they have done their job.
Produced by Northern Films, this series of short information films will be made available free of charge to organisations and charities who are campaigning for tougher sentencing and pet theft prevention.