Next stage for law to protect police horses
MPs allow proposed amendment to Animal Welfare Act to pass through parliament unopposed on second reading
WELFARE charities have welcomed the progress of proposed tougher charges for those who attack police horses and dogs.
The proposed Animal Welfare (Service Animals) Bill, which would make assaulting police and prison officer animals a specific offence, passed its second reading in parliament unopposed this month (6 July).
MP Sir Oliver Heald tabled the bill after police dog Finn was stabbed by a suspect while protecting his handler in 2016.
The man was charged with causing actual bodily harm to the officer, but the only options to charge him for the attack on Finn were criminal damage or causing unnecessary suffering to an animal.
World Horse Welfare is among those supporting the amendment to the Animal Welfare Act.
Chief executive Roly Owers told H&H: “It is outrageous that a police horse should ever be simply viewed as property. Attacking any animal is completely unacceptable and it is only right that service animals, who are loyally serving their community and making such a valuable contribution to society, should be given appropriate protection in law. Any penalty has to fit the crime so it is good to see this bill pass its latest parliamentary hurdle and we would welcome it becoming law.”
The bill would also prevent the current provision for anyone attacking a police dog or horse to claim self-defence.
An RSPCA spokesman said: “Attacks on service animals working with police officers for public safety are completely unacceptable and we would welcome moves to strengthen laws that protect them.
“Finn’s story is the truest example of the bravery and loyalty shown by these animals and we would like to see improved measures to keep them safe.”
The parliamentary approval came a week before a man was accused of punching a police horse after England’s football World Cup semi-final defeat to Croatia on 11 July.
He has been charged with causing unnecessary suffering to Avon and Somerset Police’s mounted section recruit Quantock, who was not injured in the alleged attack.
The bill must now undergo further scrutiny and more readings in both the House of Commons and the House of Lords before it can go forward for royal assent and become law.