- Cheltenham Animal shelter was the location for two important announcements by Gloucestershire’s Police and Crime Commissioner.
- PCC Martin Surl not only re-launched his ‘compassionate approach’ to protecting animals, he also judged the best puppy competition
- Mr. Surl said, “‘A Compassionate Approach’ has been in my police and crime plan since day one and this was an ideal event to bring it to people’s attention”.
- Chief Inspector Rich Pegler said, “Life is precious whether on two legs or four and we are committed to protecting them all”.
They say you should never compete for attention with animals and kids. So the Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) was taking a risk when he chose a puppy to help him make an important announcement.
Not only was PCC Martin Surl at the Cheltenham Animal Shelter Open Day to launch the ‘Compassionate Approach’ element of his Police and Crime Plan – the general strategy for policing Gloucestershire – he also had the challenging responsibility of picking-out the best puppy.
That honour fell to Bude, a 16 week old ‘Jack Spaniel’ – a cross between a Jack Russell and Cocker Spaniel and named after his birth place in Cornwall – who was adjudged the best puppy under eight months.
A dog owner himself, Martin believes animals should be afforded consideration and respect at all times.
He said, “Where the law is concerned, the Animal Welfare Act 2006 makes it an offence to cause any animal unnecessary suffering while the Criminal Damage Act 1971 classes animals as property capable of being ‘damaged and destroyed.
“The majority of owners regard them as more than that and ‘A Compassionate Approach’ has been one of the underlying themes of my police and crime plan since day one. It is an obligation to show compassion to all animals and for the police to investigate the theft of domestic animals thoroughly.
“This was an ideal event to bring it to people’s attention and I am grateful to the Cheltenham Animal Shelter for inviting me.
“We have three dogs at home so I hope I didn’t offend anyone as I know how important all our pets are to us”.
Chief Inspector Rich Pegler said, “There is lots of evidence to show that people who are cruel to animals have a similar disregard for human life as well.
“The police and crime plan message is simple. Life is precious whether on two legs or four and we are committed to protecting them all”.
You can read about ‘A Compassionate Approach’ and rest of the Police and Crime Plan by following this link: https://www.gloucestershire-pcc.gov.uk/your-pcc/what-is-the-police-and-crime-plan/
