Today I attended an event jointly hosted by Anna Firth MP and the Conservative Animal Welfare Foundation where Anna launched her new Private Member's Bill, the Animal Welfare (Responsibility for Dog Attacks) Bill.
Her Bill will make fatal dog-on-dog attacks a criminal offence, holding dog owners accountable for their pet's actions. Making dog on dog attacks a criminal offence and putting responsibility in the hands of owners aims to strengthen legal protections for dogs, without targeting any specific breeds or creating unhelpful labels which stereotype certain types of dogs.
Anna has named the Bill 'Emilie's Law' after her constituent Michael's bichon frise dog, who was tragically killed by another dog in 2021. Emilie was incredibly badly injured, and the vets were sadly unable to save her life. Michael was absolutely devastated by her death.
I have been contacted by a number of constituents who have reported dog on dog attacks and incidents of dogs attacking people which has brought this as a wider issue to my attention. As a lover of dogs and dog owner myself, I fully appreciate people's concerns about this issue and can only imagine the devastation fatal dog attacks must cause their owners. My own dog TJ is just as much a member of my family as anyone else, and we need to make sure our community is supported and feeling safe and that all dogs and owners are part of making sure walking safely or meeting in the park is a pleasurable and positive experience rather than something that causes stress and upset.