Finns Law Receives Royal Assent

Fantastic news, the Queen has given her royal assent to Finns Law. That means on 8th June 2019 an amendment to the Animal Welfare Act comes into place that will specifically protect police dogs and horses while they are on duty in England and Wales.
In October 2016 police dog Finn was stabbed twice while detaining a criminal saving the life of his handler PC Dave Wardell. Sadly at that time there was no law to protect police animals from harm and although he nearly killed Finn the attacker walked away from court with next to no penalty.
Since that near fatal night PC Dave Wardell’s life has been a rollercoaster fighting for the protection of police animals, dubbed Finns Law.This law has been a work in progress for well over a year now and saw its final reading at the House of Lords on 2nd April 2019 where it was not contested. The law was then sent for Royal Assent, something that normally takes two months. However, it was signed by the Queen and returned in less than a week.
PC Dave Wardell said:
“This has been an incredible but testing journey, however it has been such a joy to be a part of, we have met people from all walks of life with a common interest, to ensure police animals are protected while serving their community.
“Finn has attended every single stage at Parliament and is quite a feature there now. He has made many friends throughout this journey and I’m sure he won’t forget a single one.
“I’m proud of my best friend, he has certainly gone down in history. He has turned such a horrendous event into something so positive, his legacy will never be forgotten by his furry colleagues.”