Rejected petition Bring a law in to protect dogs who are being walked in high temperatures

Many irresponsible owners are walking their dogs in temperatures that at best are burning their paws and giving them heatstroke and at worse causing severe illness and in some cases death. All the time there is no penalty for walking a dog in these temperatures this will carry on.

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Dogs have no voices, they need the Government to step in and protect them. By bringing in a law that makes it illegal to walk dogs over certain temperatures, and to face serious fines if you do, I’m convinced this will stop people doing it.

It’s heartbreaking seeing the number of people walking when temperatures are over 30 degrees, taking their dogs to the beach for the day, waiting outside school gates on baking hot pavements & watching these dogs pant & look generally uncomfortable & unwell

This petition was rejected

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The Animal Welfare Act 2006 already makes it an offence if a person causes, by act or omission, an animal to suffer. This would cover suffering caused by taking a dog for a walk, or leaving a dog in a car, in excessive heat. Fines can be issued for these types of offences, as well as prison sentences.

The Government's code of practice for the welfare of dogs, which provides owners and keepers with information on how to meet the welfare needs of their animals, and can be used in courts as evidence in cases brought before them relating to poor welfare, specifically highlights the risks of heat stress: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/697953/pb13333-cop-dogs-091204.pdf

Decisions about investigating alleged animal welfare offences and prosecuting these are a matter for the police and Crown Prosecution Service, not the Government or House of Commons.

If you're concerned about a specific incident, you may wish to report it directly to the RSPCA: https://www.rspca.org.uk/utilities/contactus/reportcruelty

We only reject petitions that don’t meet the petition standards.