On Friday 17th May, I brought forward for its second reading in Parliament, the issue of dog-on-dog attacks in my second Private Members Bill of the Parliamentary Session.
Known as Emilie's Law, the Bill is informally named after one of my constituent’s dogs, a Bichon Frise, who died in 2021 after being attacked by another dog in Chalkwell Park in Leigh-on-Sea.
Emilie's Law will require a person in charge of a dog to take all reasonable steps to ensure that their dog does not fatally injure another dog.
It will criminalise fatal dog-on-dog attacks in the UK, ensuring that irresponsible dog owners are held to account.
I first brought Emilie's Law - formally known as my Animal Welfare (Responsibility for Dog Attacks) Bill - forward as a ten-minute rule bill in the last Parliamentary session, however, the bill was not able to progress. At the start of this session, I again brought the bill forward as a presentation bill and was able to secure some debate time.
As you know, I'm passionate about animal welfare and I'm proud to be continuing the legacy of Sir David Amess. My bill would extend the same protection to pet dogs that already exist for service, guide and assistance dogs. Furthermore, the bill would encourage 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. It will have a deterrent effect and would ensure that local police forces record dog-on-dog attacks as separate offences, enabling us to see the full scale of the problem.
Beyond this Bill, I have been engaging extensively with DEFRA ministers to push forward changes to existing legislation to crack down on dog-on-dog attacks. I'm delighted that DEFRA officials have been working with the Crown Prosecution Service to update their prosecutorial guidance on dog-on-dog attacks, and dog attacks on other animals.
The guidance now makes it explicit that a dog-on-dog attack can be prosecuted under Section 3 of the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991, which covers the offence of a dog being dangerously out of control. I welcome this, but I still want to push Ministers on legislative change that would ensure no loopholes remain in the law for reckless owners to avoid prosecution.
I'm pleased that my bill received significant cross party support in the Chamber.
It is frankly scandalous that irresponsible dog owners are currently able to shirk all responsibility when their dog fatally attacks another, creating untold distress and harm to the deceased dog’s owner and wider family.
Of course, not all dogs are dangerous and not all dog owners are irresponsible, but it is crucial we have accountability under the law.
