Your pet has disappeared and you suspect a theft?
In the event of fraudulent removal of your cat or dog, or any other pet, you must act quickly and in stages.
To discover
OUR FILE - Tobacco: how to get out of it?
The police or gendarmerie services and those of the I-Cad are the first to alert in the event of the
theft of an animal
.
But beware, not everyone can do this.
Only its owner is authorized.
Is animal theft punishable by the Penal Code?
Theft is defined by the Penal Code as the fraudulent removal of another person's thing
(
article 311-1 of the Penal Code
)
.
It therefore includes the theft of an animal.
How do I report a stolen animal?
If your pet has been stolen, here is what to do.
File a complaint with the police or gendarmerie.
The declaration of a stolen animal must always be made to the police or gendarmerie services on which you depend.
You can file a complaint by physically going to the police station.
You can also file a pre-complaint online.
For this to be registered as a complaint, you will need to sign the statement at a police station.
After alerting the police to the disappearance of your dog or cat, the procedure to follow depends on whether or not your animal is identified.
Read alsoLost dog: what to do?
Alert the I-Cad
The pet identification service, the I-Cad, must be alerted to the theft of your animal.
Your stolen animal is identified with the I-Cad services
If your pet has previously been identified and registered with the I-Cad services in the National Domestic Carnivore Identification File, you must inform them of its theft.
This declaration is made either:
By email, at contact@i-cad.fr.
The subject of your email must be entitled
Statement of theft
.
The body of your message should contain:
The animal's identification number.
It is on the registration card provided by the I-Cad following its identification.
If this document is lost, your veterinarian can inform you.
His race.
Your full contact details.
A copy of the complaint lodged with the police or gendarmerie services.
By mail, to the postal address: I-CAD, 112 - 114 avenue Gabriel Péri, 94246 L'Haÿ-les-Roses Cedex.
Upon receipt of the complete file, the I-Cad will register the animal as stolen in the National Identification File for Domestic Carnivores.
Read alsoLost cat: what to do?
To note
If your stolen animal is a New Companion Animal (NAC), in other words any animal other than a cat, a dog or a ferret, you can declare its loss to the National Identification File for Animals of Non-Domestic Species (I -Fap).
Your stolen animal is not identified with the I-Cad services
The I-Cad will not be able to do anything for you if your animal has never been identified with its services.
Other websites allow you to display search ads following the theft of your pet.
For example, you can place an ad on Pet Alert or on Chien-Perdu.
Ask animal professionals
The Filalapat application allows you to find missing animals.
Adobe Stock
Another reflex to adopt after your pet has been stolen is to go around to the professionals to ask them if they have seen or found it.
You can ask veterinarians, shelters or animal associations like the SPA near you.
Good to know
Thanks to geolocation, the official Filalapat application makes it possible to identify veterinarians, pounds and lost animals seen and found around you.
It also allows you to view ads posted by members of the community.
Who can declare the theft of an animal?
With the police, only the victim of the animal theft, or his legal representatives, can lodge a complaint.
With I-Cad or I-Fap, only the holder of the animal registered in the national I-Cad or I-Fap file is authorized to make a declaration of theft.
No request from another person is taken into account.
What are the penalties for stealing a pet?
Theft is punishable by 3 years' imprisonment and a fine of 45,000 euros
(
article 311-3 of the Penal Code
)
.
Theft committed with one or more aggravating circumstances carries the prison sentence to 5 years and the fine to 75,000 euros
(
article 311-4
and following)
.
This is the case, for example, when the theft is intended to fuel the illegal trade in animals, trafficking, or when it is accompanied by violence.
How to protect yourself from the theft of an animal?
Identification of the animal can protect against theft.
Adobe Stock
In order to protect themselves as well as possible against the theft of animals, the owners must imperatively respect the obligation of identification provided for in article L212-10 Rural Code and maritime fishing.
It consists of identifying the animal, regardless of its age, by electronic chip or tattoo in the national identification file for domestic carnivores (I-Cad).
The identification is made by the owner who sells the animal, at his expense.
Having your animal identified is essential in the event of theft.
This act allows the search and identification of the cat or dog.
Then, it allows to contact its owner when it is found.
Conclusion
In case of theft of your dogs or cats, here are the reflexes to adopt:
File a complaint with the nearest police or gendarmerie station.
Inform the I-Cad or the I-Fap of the theft of the animal.
Take a tour of the animal professionals around you.
