Dog Road Death Rule Change
A Highways rule change is in the pipeline, and is in fact already being rolled out, which means that deceased animals found on UK roads will no longer have to be checked for identification and owners will not have to be told about their pets demise.
Highways Agency contracts used to state that dogs found deceased on motorways and A roads must be checked for identification and the owners informed. Road workers will no longer be obliged to check the ID or microchip of a dog who has been found on the roads. It is believed that these changes are for cost-cutting reasons. Mandatory ID checks will no longer be compulsory by July 2015.
A spokesman for the Highways Agency said:
"In response to the requirements of Government’s Spending Review 2010, the Highways Agency has been awarding a new type of contract that maximises efficiency and value for money for the taxpayer, without compromising road user and road worker safety. An element of this has been the removal of our mandatory policy for handling canine fatalities.”
Owners should be told if their pets have been killed on the roads
In an age where we are all being responsible by making sure our pets are easily identified, there is no need to keep pet owners in the dark and cause unnecessary suffering. A check of the ID tag or a scan of the microchip is all it takes to find and contact the pet's owners.
Jude Devine’s Miniature Poodle, Harvey, who was chipped and wearing an ID tag, ran away and within half an hour had been killed on the M62. His owner was not informed and carried on looking for him for 13 weeks, even contacting the Highways Agency numerous times and being told no dogs had been found.
"There are numerous documented occasions where people's pets have been shamelessly discarded without consideration, respect or compassion for the owners rights." says Jude.
Harvey's Law has joined forces with Jester's Law. Nikki Reay's Rottweiler, Jester, was killed on the A1 in 2005.
"His body was removed and sent to the rendering plant where his flesh was stripped to make fuel for energy plants and his bones were crushed to make garden compound,” Nikki said. "No one scanned him for a chip or took details of his tag. No one alerted authorities or logged the incident and I was never notified.”
Sign the epetition to make sure owners are notified
An epetition opposing this rule change has already achieved an amazing 113,954 signatures, and rising.
We request Legislation to enforce a formulated process ensuring that HA Departments abide by the following:
Compulsory scanning of all domestic animals retrieved from the highways.
Log report filed and circulated to both Police and Dog Warden.
Photographs of the deceased to be held with the log report to be used for identification purposes.
Please sign here http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/62490
Contact your MP
The debate for Harvey's Law in UK Parliament has been scheduled for 2nd March 2015. Why not email your MP and tell them why they should back it. Here's how to find your MP - click contact your MP
Vets Get Scanning
The Vets Get Scanning appeal is also a real eye opener. It points out that, although microchipping is soon to become the law, it is not proof of ownership, vets and rescues are not required by law to scan pets, council pounds don't have to scan before the seven day deadline, and so the list goes on. Shocking!
They point out: "It’s no good giving all dogs microchips if all vets, agencies and other establishments do not scan for microchips as standard procedure every and any time an animal is dealt with whether dead or alive."
To find out more, visit vetsgetscanning.co.uk/
By Jenny Prevel
In the 21st century why are we going backwards. For goodness sake, the government needs to take responsibility and do the right thing. It's outrageous, it really is. Have some decency and reverse this ridiculous new law.
Absolutely shameful.
Why do we have microchip but to know if our pets have been found or hurt.
This law must change
Shameful
Seriously that's stupid
Please don't let this new highway law happen, everybody needs to join the epetition we have done our part by microchipping our beloved pets.
Asked to microchip dogs why?
If not to help family pets be found.
This is disgusting, finding out either way is closure for the families of the pets.
Of course owners need to be informed. Its only decent!
Shame on you government! again!
Letting owners keep searching for their dead pets when they can be notified and have closure, come on have some compassion and stop this law.
Shameful, how "cost-cutting" is it to scan an animal and check if they are microchipped exactly? All pet owners deserve the closure whether deceased or alive. Whoever decided on this new law, obviously don't have pets of their own.
Both our dogs are part of the family, it would be like killing a child and not reporting it.Heartless and disgraceful.
This is not acceptable the dogs are chipped so they can be identified how inhumane is this?
Please everybody sign this
Both my cats are chipped and I helped in the searches for Harvey x why make it law if they don't check x this government law is for cost cutting only so take a pay cut x it's cruel to not no if our babies have passed
whats the point in new microchip law when the highways law is so ridiculous
Another idiotic idea from the government
Uncaring, unfeeling and heartless ,I love my dog .it's part of our family .
I just could not believe what I was reading here. It's a disgrace. Surely this makes a mockery of making microchipping a legal requirement. It costs nothing to check a microchip, and it's heartless not to tell an owner that their beloved pet has died.
What will be next children! What a disgusting law to pass.
This change in the law is not acceptable by the government, obviously who ever thought this one up doesn't have pets of there own.
we have the right to be told this change is cruel
It's shocking that this law is going to be changed. We have a right to know if our beloved pets have been injured. There are plenty of other ways to cut costs, but this country is too spineless to do any of these .
its law we have to have them chipped so it must be law we know about our pets death .
What is the point of microchipping your dog if the authorities are going to throw it out like rubbish....Does someone sit in an office in Government and think how can we p..s the people off some more.
Disgusting to hear that the Highways agency have repeatedly been in the news recently for reuniting children with toys lost on the roads!
How is that more important than our beloved dogs! Im really getting sick of the way dogs are being treated in this country!
We must stand together to ensure that this proposed heartless law does not pass into legislation.
August 28th 2021 stopped after spotting a dog killed on the road late this evening. Pulled over and checked him out. Poor thing had been hit within the hour and was still warm. Phoned the number on his tag but no answer so left a text with location. His tag said "Hit or Miss" so I guess the owners expected something like this to happen. I pulled him out of the road and laid him on the grass verge. I'm very upset being a dog lover myself. Rip little buddy.