On Friday, local MP, Caroline Dinenage, met the winners of her Gosport’s Cutest Pet Competition to award their prize!
To welcome the Animal Welfare (Sentencing) Bill bringing in tougher sentences for animal cruelty, Caroline wanted to celebrate all the local people who love their pets and take good care of them.
She invited constituents to post the cutest photo of their pet on her Facebook page and received over 75 entries. Caroline then invited her Facebook followers to vote for their favourite.
Bridgemary dogs, Cookie and Nala scooped the prize after achieving the most votes.
Commenting Caroline said:
“We are a nation of animal lovers and welcome this Bill which gives animals better protection by allowing tougher sentences for harm inflicted. But it’s important to remember and celebrate that most pet owners love and care for their furry and feathered friends.
It was great to meet winning Cutest Pets, Cookie and Nala, along with their mums, Avril and Melissa to hand over their prize - a goody bag full of dog treats, toys and a bottle of pawsecco!”
The Animal Welfare (Sentencing) Bill means that animal abusers could face up to five years in prison, a significant increase from the current maximum sentence of six months. This will make it one of the toughest sanctions in Europe, strengthening the UK’s position as a global leader on animal welfare.
