Owner calls for law change after dog killed in attack

A woman has begun a campaign to change the law after her dog was killed by a "bully hybrid".

Karen Hawthornwaite, 55, of Darwen, began a campaign to strengthen the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 after her seven-year-old Lhasa Apso, Benji, was attacked by an off-lead unmuzzled pocket bulldog in 2025 - and had to be euthanised.

Despite capturing the attack on CCTV, Karen said it did not meet the criteria for prosecution. "We were all terrified, not just Benji, I was terrified for my life as well," she said. She wants a legal change so all dog-on-dog attacks are taken seriously.

Lancashire Police said it had sought expert advice but the incident "did not meet the criteria" under the Dangerous Dogs Act.

Under the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991, dog attacks on other animals may amount to an offence, but it is for the individual police force and Crown Prosecution Service, to decide whether this is appropriate, on a case-by-case basis.

"I saw Benji in my arms then just looking up at me like 'just help me Mum'," Karen recalled to BBC North West Tonight.

"I had to hold on to the lamppost because this dog was that strong, it was pulling me and it was pulling Benji further in."

She said the attack left Benji with serious injuries, which led to him needing to have his leg amputated and eventually being euthanised.

The dog in question was a pocket bulldog - a cross-breed that is technically not on the dangerous dogs list.

But Karen argues that mixed breeds of dogs such as pocket bulldogs fall under a "grey area", allowing dangerous dogs to "evade the full force of the law".

"I don't even know where this dog is now," Karen said. "The police haven't told me. I've asked for all this information and I've just been blanked," she claimed.

A spokesperson from Lancashire Police said the force had sought expert advice before deeming that the incident "did not meet the criteria of any offences under the Dangerous Dog Act".

The spokesperson added: "However to reduce the likelihood of a similar incident happening again, the owner of the pocket bulldog was given an Acceptable Behaviour Contract under the Anti Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act, 2014 with specific conditions which include ensuring their dog is on a lead at all times in residential areas."

Sheena Stoddart, 63, from Bury, in Greater Manchester, met Karen through her campaign, having been the victim of a similar incident in May.

Sheena was walking her dog Henry when she spotted a dog off the lead, without an owner and decided to walk around to avoid it.

"There was no sign of aggression, so I walked around a parked car to avoid it," Sheena recalled.

"It then unexpectedly came around behind us, grabbed him and shook him to death before ripping him apart.

"It was too quick and unexpected for me to even attempt to save him."

Sheena said she was "terrified" the dog would attack her too.

"I keep reliving the event, I keep seeing Henry's face," she said. "I leave the house now and if we go anywhere and there's a dog of any size off a lead, I have a panic attack, I freeze, I can't move."

"The police came to me that night and said their bosses were saying they couldn't prosecute because it wasn't a crime," Sheena recalled. "He was a pet, so therefore property."

She said the news left her feeling "distraught".

"I feel distraught like he's lost his life for nothing," she said. "Like it doesn't count."

The dog in question was later euthanised.

"We're all fed up of hearing about these incidents," Trevor Cooper, solicitor and dog law specialist, said. "There are victims who deserve better and the law that we have is a complete mess.

"It is high time the Dangerous Dogs Act was perhaps thrown away and let's start again with something that is fit for purpose."

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) is the government body responsible for providing guidance for police and local authorities on enforcing dog control laws.

"We recognise that attacks on pets can have a devastating impact on owners and we take these incidents seriously," a Defra spokesperson said.

"We continue to work with the police, local authorities and animal welfare groups to encourage responsible dog ownership across all breeds and ensure the current dog control rules are sufficient to protect communities."

A spokesperson for Dogs Trust UK said: "For more than 30 years, Dogs Trust has been calling on the Government to overhaul the Dangerous Dogs Act, as its current focus on breed-specific legislation is not only detrimental to dog welfare, but it is ineffective and does little to protect members of the public.

"Instead, the issue of dog control should be tackled by introducing preventative, breed-neutral legislation which addresses the unscrupulous breeders who are putting profit before welfare, and owners whose dogs are out of control."

A Greater Manchester Police spokesperson said, in response to Sheena's case, the force took "a public safety approach to dangerous dogs and banned breeds of dog".

"When we come across or receive information about such a dog we will proactively look to seize it so it can be assessed by our experts and an informed decision can be made as to whether or not to allow that dog to remain with its owner," they added.

"Public safety is always at the heart of any decision we make, and we have several criminal and civil powers that allow us to take this approach."

Listen to the best of BBC Radio Manchester on Sounds and follow BBC Manchester on Facebook, X, and Instagram. You can also send story ideas via Whatsapp to 0808 100 2230.