Pet Theft Penalty in Maryland: Criminal Charges, Fines, and How to Recover Your Pet
September 26, 2026
If your dog or cat vanishes and you later learn someone took it on purpose, you’re dealing with a crime — but not the crime you might expect. Maryland has no law called “pet theft” or “dognapping.” Instead, the pet theft penalty in Maryland comes from the state’s ordinary theft statute, the same law that covers a stolen bicycle, laptop, or lawnmower.
That surprises a lot of pet owners, especially with countries like the United Kingdom moving in the opposite direction. The UK’s Pet Abduction Act 2024 was built around the idea that
dogs and cats are sentient beings capable of experiencing distress and emotional trauma when they are stolen, not inanimate objects. Maryland’s law still treats a stolen pet as personal property, valued in dollars like any other item. Here’s what that means for how charges get filed, how severe they can get, and what you can do if your pet is taken.
Whether Stealing a Pet Is a Crime Under Maryland Law
Yes — taking someone else’s dog, cat, or other companion animal without permission is a crime in Maryland, full stop. It falls under the state’s general theft law, codified at Section 7-104 of the Maryland Code, which defines everything about theft including the statutes, penalties, and remedies for theft. Theft under this section is typically defined as an act of depriving another person of their property without their consent.
A pet counts as property in the eyes of this statute regardless of how much your family loves the animal. This applies to a Labrador puppy just as it applies to a parakeet, a ferret, or an unconventional companion animal. If you’re wondering whether an unusual pet even qualifies for legal protection, it helps to first confirm the animal is one you’re legally allowed to keep — for example, Maryland’s rules on owning a skunk in Maryland affect whether the animal is treated as lawful personal property to begin with.
Pro Tip: Keep dated photos, adoption papers, microchip registration, and vet records for every pet you own. If a theft case ever goes to court, this documentation is often the deciding factor in proving ownership and establishing the animal’s value.
How Maryland Charges Pet Theft: Animal-Specific Statutes vs General Theft or Larceny
Some states have written animal theft directly into their criminal codes. A few state criminal codes specifically address the theft of animals — for example, Michigan, New York, and North Carolina. Michigan’s version is a good illustration: it makes it illegal to steal or confine a licensed dog, with a penalty of 60 to 90 days in county jail and/or a fine of $50 to $100. California goes further, defining a “companion animal” theft offense where a person who feloniously steals, takes, or carries away a companion animal of another which is of a value exceeding $950 is guilty of grand theft.
Maryland has no equivalent animal-specific statute. Prosecutors instead rely on the general theft law, and in states where animal theft is not specifically addressed, stealing an animal is usually encompassed within the state’s theft or larceny laws, with penalties determined based on the value of the property stolen. That distinction matters practically: it means the same statute used to prosecute a stolen catalytic converter also governs a stolen French Bulldog, and the dollar value assigned to the animal drives everything that follows.
This general approach also affects breeders and sellers. If you raise or sell dogs commercially, understanding Maryland’s dog breeding laws is worth pairing with an understanding of theft law, since disputes over ownership of breeding stock sometimes blur the two areas. Separately, wildlife taken from the state, such as species covered under Maryland’s endangered animals protections, falls under different conservation statutes entirely, not the personal-property theft framework used for pets.
Felony vs Misdemeanor Thresholds for Stealing a Dog, Cat, or Companion Animal in Maryland
Because Maryland treats a stolen pet as property, the value assigned to that animal decides whether the theft is charged as a misdemeanor or a felony. If the value of the property taken is less than $1,500, it’s a misdemeanor theft; any theft of property with a value greater than $1,500 is deemed felony theft or grand larceny. For a pet, that value is typically based on purchase price, breeder fees, veterinary investment, or comparable sale prices for the same breed.
That threshold has real consequences for pet owners. A mixed-breed rescue dog with a modest adoption fee will almost always fall into misdemeanor territory. A registered, purebred dog — a German Shepherd from a working-line breeder, for instance — can realistically exceed $1,500 in documented value, pushing the theft into felony charges. The same logic applies to less common companion animals; if the species itself carries legal restrictions, such as those discussed for owning a wolf in Maryland, ownership status and value can both become contested issues in court.
| Value of Stolen Pet | Classification | Maximum Incarceration | Maximum Fine |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under $100 | Misdemeanor | Up to 90 days | Up to $500 |
| $100 to under $1,500 | Misdemeanor | Up to 6 months | Up to $500 |
| $1,500 to under $25,000 | Felony | Up to 5 years | Up to $10,000 |
| $25,000 to under $100,000 | Felony | Up to 10 years | Up to $15,000 |
Less than $100 carries a maximum penalty of a fine of $500 or 90 days in jail or both; more than $100 but no more than $1,500 carries a maximum penalty of a $500 fine or 6 months in jail or both; and more than $1,500 but no more than $10,000 is a felony theft with a maximum penalty of a $10,000 fine or up to 5 years in prison or both, with the higher-value tiers escalating from there.
Important Note: Maryland’s theft statute has been amended over the years, and you may find older sources citing a $1,000 felony threshold instead of $1,500. If your case is close to a breakpoint, confirm the current figures with a Maryland criminal defense attorney rather than relying on any single source.
Fines, Jail or Prison Time, and Restitution for Pet Theft in Maryland
Beyond the base fine and jail exposure tied to value, Maryland’s theft law also requires the person convicted to make the pet owner whole. For felony-level thefts, the statute provides that a convicted defendant is subject to imprisonment not exceeding 15 years or a fine not exceeding $15,000, and shall restore the property taken to the owner or pay the owner the value of the property or services. In a pet theft case, this restitution obligation can cover the animal’s replacement value, veterinary bills incurred while the pet was missing, and sometimes the cost of a search effort.
Repeat offenders face steeper consequences even when the individual theft amount is small. If you have two or more prior convictions under Maryland’s theft statutes and are convicted of theft of property valued at less than $1,000, a third theft conviction could result in up to 5 years in prison or a fine of up to $5,000 or both. This “enhanced penalty” provision matters for pet theft rings, where someone repeatedly takes lower-value animals to resell.
These penalty tiers sit alongside Maryland’s other animal-related statutes, which use their own separate fine and jail structures. If you’re comparing overall exposure for pet owners and animal handlers, it’s worth reviewing Maryland’s dog bite laws for contrast, since liability there runs through civil injury claims rather than theft-value tiers. Poultry and backyard animals raise a similar question, and Maryland’s rooster laws show how a companion or working animal’s legal status can affect how a taking is even classified.
Civil Damages, Treble Recovery, or Related Claims After Pet Theft in Maryland
A criminal theft charge and a civil claim are two separate tracks, and you can often pursue both. According to one Maryland attorney’s guidance on stolen pets, an owner can file a suit in circuit court for a declaratory judgment that the pets are theirs, sue in district court for a return of the pets, and/or file criminal charges for theft. When ownership is disputed rather than clearly theft — for example, after a breakup or a dispute between family members — the same source notes that filing a Replevin Action in district court is the route to get your property back without a marriage or formal custody arrangement in play.
Maryland does allow enhanced civil recovery in at least one theft-adjacent context: the state holds those convicted of shoplifting liable to the merchant for twice the value of the property taken. That doubled-damages remedy is specific to retail shoplifting claims brought by merchants, though, and doesn’t automatically extend to a private pet owner’s civil suit against the person who took their dog. A private civil claim for a stolen pet typically proceeds as an ordinary conversion or replevin action instead, seeking the animal’s return or its fair value plus any provable losses.
Ownership disputes over pets come up often enough outside the theft context that they’ve developed their own body of practice. If your situation involves a former partner or co-owner rather than a stranger, Maryland’s pet custody laws may offer a faster and less adversarial path than a criminal complaint.
How to Report a Stolen Pet to Police or Animal Control in Maryland
Speed matters after a pet goes missing under suspicious circumstances. The Animal Legal Defense Fund recommends that a 911 call is appropriate if your pet is stolen or if you witness a suspected pet theft, since dispatchers can route the report to the right unit immediately. Beyond the initial call, victims of pet theft should file formal written complaints with their local law enforcement and humane agencies so there’s an official record tied to your case, not just a verbal report.
A practical reporting sequence looks like this:
- Call 911 or your local police non-emergency line to file an initial theft report and get a case number.
- Contact your county animal control or shelter in case the animal is surrendered, found, or brought in by someone unaware it was stolen.
- Submit a written complaint to both police and any relevant humane agency, including photos, microchip numbers, and adoption or purchase records.
- Alert local media and post on community and social platforms, since reaching out to local TV news stations and newspapers can help amplify your effort to find your stolen pet.
- Distribute flyers in your neighborhood and nearby areas where the pet might have been taken.
Having your paperwork in order before you ever need it makes every step above faster. Current, verifiable pet vaccination records not only satisfy Maryland’s legal requirements but also double as proof of ownership when you’re trying to convince police or a shelter that the animal is yours.
Possession, Sale, or Transfer of a Stolen Pet Under Maryland Law
Maryland’s theft statute doesn’t only punish the person who first takes the animal. The statute covers a broad range of prohibited conduct, including taking property of another, possessing stolen property, using deception to gain control of property, and shoplifting. That means someone who knowingly buys, boards, or resells a pet they know or should know was stolen can face charges too, separate from whoever originally took the animal.
A real Maryland case shows how this plays out. Aberdeen Police reported that a suspect stole seven puppies during a burglary at a home, and the victim said seven Shih Tzu/Yorkie puppies had been taken. According to police, the suspect told officers he sold the puppies at a local mall while carrying them around in a wagon. Cases like this frequently generate two sets of exposure: theft charges tied to the original taking, and separate possession-of-stolen-property or fraud-related charges tied to the resale, especially if the seller misrepresented the puppies’ origin to unsuspecting buyers.
If you buy or sell dogs regularly, whether as a hobby breeder or a small operation, it’s worth cross-referencing Maryland’s dog breeding regulations against theft law, since buying an animal without verifying its origin can create liability even when you had no idea it was stolen.
Legal Disclaimer: This article explains general legal concepts under Maryland law for informational purposes and does not constitute legal advice. Theft statutes, valuation methods, and penalty tiers can change or be interpreted differently depending on the facts of a specific case. If you’re involved in a pet theft matter, consult a licensed Maryland attorney for guidance tailored to your situation.
Recovering a stolen pet almost always moves faster when you act on multiple fronts at once — a police report, an animal control alert, and solid ownership documentation working together rather than one after another. Whether your case stays a straightforward misdemeanor or escalates into felony territory largely comes down to the animal’s documented value, so keeping that paperwork current is one of the simplest things you can do before you ever need it.