EASTLEIGH MP Mims Davies was in Parliament to support a new bill to give legal protection for service animals.

Finn's Law would stop anyone charged with attacking a service animal from claiming self-defence. Named after a police German Shephard dog who saved PC Dave Wardell's life after he was attacked the law is a bid to stop attackers just being charged with criminal damage - as is they had just damaged property.

Mims said: "“I have had hundreds of constituents support this campaign, and write to me asking me to do the same. As a dog owner myself, I was really shocked to learn that currently someone that attacks a service animal can only be charged with criminal damage – the same as if the animal were a piece of kit like a police radio.

“This law will change that, ensuring that someone that attacks a police animal will have committed an offence, and will be dealt with accordingly. At the same time, I welcome that the Government has promised to put the sentencing up.

“The dog that this law has been named after, Finn, was in Parliament today, and watched from the House of Commons Gallery as this key Bill moved a step further to being written in to law.”

Fair Oak Councillor Steve Broomfield and former manager of the Blue Cross animal hospital, added: "This is excellent news. In my time at Blue Cross I saw both dogs and horses which had been injured in the course of protecting us and their patient and willing service to humans demands that human law fully cares for them too!"