The MP for Dartford will be hosting an awareness day for dog theft in Westminster next month.

Gareth Johnson will be the host of the event that has been organised by The Stolen and Missing Pets Alliance.

Mr Johnson has already raised the issue in Parliament and is said to be keen to encourage tougher sentences for those involved in these crimes.

The MP previously criticised the Sentencing Council for failing to include guidelines for dog theft in its latest review.

Mr Johnson, who has been lobbying for a review of sentencing guidelines for dog theft, said: “Victims of dog theft around the country will be bitterly disappointed that dogs will continue to be treated like property by the courts and not as pets.

"The Sentencing Council just don’t seem to get it. Dogs should not be treated by the courts like mobile phones or laptops.

"I want to see changes to sentencing for dog theft, so it is classed more than just property theft. When people responsible are caught, convicted and sentenced appropriately this will act as a deterrent to others tempted to commit this cruel crime.

To continue this fight, I am hosting a Dog Theft Awareness Day event on March 14th, in the Houses of Parliament as part of my continued effort to try and raise awareness about this heartbreaking crime.”

A spokesperson for the alliance said: “The crime is largely unpunished as few cases reach court, and because dogs are regarded as goods any sentence reflects the value of the dog not the impact on the victim who has lost a member of their family.

“Police statistics very across the country and are simply the tip of the iceberg. They show how a force records dog theft rather than the size of the problem.

“Neither do they record the crime of ‘Theft by finding’ where a dog goes missing and is picked up and sold on or kept as a pet or for breeding.”

Statistics show that there has been a 24 per cent increase over the last three years in dog theft.

Dog owners are being asked to contact their MP and urge them to attend the session which will be hosted by Gareth in Westminster on Tuesday, March 14.