Southend MP's dog attack bill passes first reading
Anna Firth's campaign calls for a new offence of dog-on-dog attacks - by requiring that a person in charge of a dog take all reasonable steps to ensure that it doesn't kill another dog
Parliament have been told that Fatal dog-on-dog attacks should be a criminal offence for the owner responsible.
Conservative MP Anna Firth is leading a campaign to address an "oversight" in the law which she says denies justice to dog owners if their animals are attacked and killed by other dogs.
The MP for Southend West in Essex has used a 10-minute rule motion in the House of Commons to push for her Animal Welfare (Responsibility for Dog Attacks) Bill, which seeks to put criminal responsibility on to the owner of any dog which fatally attacks another.
In the commons she said:
"Britain Is undoubtedly a nation of dog lovers, with recent estimates now suggesting there are some 13 million dogs in the UK. In other words, almost half of all households probably has a dog.
"Research also shows, Mr Speaker, that companionship Is the most common reason for having a dog, and that was absolutely the case for my constituent, Michael.
"Michael, who is with us today in the public gallery, lost his long standing girlfriend unexpectedly and suddenly to epilepsy.
"So after her death, he adopted her beautiful white, fluffy Bichon Frise (named) Emily, known affectionately as Milly, both to keep him company but also to help him grieve.
"Emily was a wonderful dog, gentle, sweet, obedient. She totally captured Michael's heart.
"However, 18 months ago, Emily was savagely attacked by an off lead out of control dog while on a walk through the Rose Garden in Chalk Hill Parkway on sea.
"Michael described the attack as like watching a horror movie. The dog came at Emily like a missile and although she was on her lead.
"Shook her like a rag doll. Michael found himself helpless to stop Emily being torn apart in front of his eyes, and after the attack had no option but to carry Emily bleeding and with serious open wounds to her abdomen, to the nearest vet where sadly, she was put down.
"Outrageously, the owner of the dog that attacked Emily refused to take any responsibility, not even paying the vets bill for euthanasia.
"Mr. Deputy Speaker, no dog owner or dog should have to go through what Michael and Emily experienced, and I believe we would all be devastated if that happened to our own pet dog, but I believe we would be doubly devastated if on reporting the matter to the police, we were told there is nothing they could do as it was simply dog
"...laws, both civil and criminal, have been strengthened in recent years to protect the public, where a doll presents as a risk to public safety, whether in public or private, but it remains the case that a dog owner is not liable to any form of criminal prosecution when their dog fatally attacks or seriously injured another dog unless the other dog is a guide, assistance or service dog, or unless the dog bites a human or there are grounds for reasonable apprehension that a dog will injure any person, Mr Speaker, that is quite simply not right because self evidently this is frequently not the case with the dog on dog attack, where so often the larger dog is making a beeline for a smaller dog".
"It is all these issues, Mr Speaker, that this bill seeks to address and #1 amending the Animal Welfare Act to criminalise fatal dog on dog attacks would extend the same protection to pet dogs that already exists for service, guide and assistance dogs. Pet dogs are as important to humans as service dogs.
Indeed, when it comes to mental health, all dogs are service dogs.
"#2 Emily's law will empower owners to pursue justice if their beloved pet is brutally attacked, whilst not demonising any particular breed or creating unhelpful stereotypes around certain breeds of dogs.
"Three, this bill is about encouraging responsible dog ownership and animal welfare, placing the responsibility for a fatal dog attack fairly and squarely on the person in charge of the dog, and empowering the police to take action will have a deterrent effect, thus encouraging more responsible dog ownership.
"And finally, the bill will also compel local police forces to record dog on dog attacks as separate offences, so that finally the full scale of these awful offences can be seen and counted.
"Of course, passing this law will be a significant step in the right direction, but it's its effectiveness will depend heavily upon enforcement, so clearly we must continue to work closely with the police and law enforcement agencies to ensure offenders are brought to justice.
"I'm well aware that most private members bills never make the statute book, but I am hopeful that this one will".
The campaign for "Emilie's Law" is aimed at ensuring greater legal protections for dog owners, with Ms Firth saying the number of dog-on-dog attacks has "skyrocketed" in recent years.
She said a freedom of information request answered by 28 out of 43 police forces shows the number of recorded dog-on-dog attacks rose from 1,700 in 2016 to 11,559 in 2021, a near seven-fold increase.
Ms Firth also said the campaign builds on the legacy of her predecessor, Sir David Amess, who was an active campaigner for animal rights before he was murdered in 2021.
The MP told PA: "It started with Michael coming through the door, just devastated. It touched my own heart as a dog owner myself, but it also builds on Sir David's legacy as well.
"So I started looking into this, and yes it's absolutely the case that under current legislation, under the Dangerous Dogs Act, attacks on humans are covered, assistance dogs and guide dogs are covered... nothing for pet dogs. This is clearly an oversight because pet dogs are part of the family now.
"It just isn't right that somebody can irresponsibly allow their dog to actually fatally injure your dog and then there's just no comeback on that whatsoever."
She added: "This isn't about demonising dogs and specific breeds. It's about actually addressing that this is an animal welfare issue, it's a dog responsibility issue."
Ms Firth said her Bill aims to keep the proposed change narrow and focus on fatal dog-on-dog attacks, but added: "In the fullness of time I would hope that this debate would be expanded, because if you do a Google search you will find any number of examples of dogs that are mauled but only with the help of incredibly expert veterinary treatment survive."
Describing the attack on Millie, Mr Joannou told PA: "It happened in seconds. I was screaming at the owner to remove the dog.
"Somehow the owner did get the dog off. This dog had just come at her - honestly it was like something in the Serengeti.
"When you see a loved one of yours opened up in two and still alive, there's not a lot worse you can ever experience."
He said Millie was then taken to the vet where she had to be put down.
"The police couldn't do anything," he said, pointing to what he considers to be a gap in the law, and added: "It means that something you love can be torn apart and killed with no consequences.
"It's like medieval law.
"This country's law on it is absolutely pathetic. I'm standing up for it because it's wrong, and what I'm asking for is right."