Highways Agency should identify pets killed on roads, say Black Country MPs
MPs from the Black Country have backed calls for the Highways Agency to identify pets killed on the roads and inform their owners.
It followed a 120,000 signature petition which sparked a debate in the Commons highlighting the plight of teacher Judy Devine whose dog, Harvey, was killed on the M62.
She spent £8,000 trying to find him only to be told his body had been recovered by officials within 20 minutes of his death.
There have been calls for a 'Harvey's Law' to bring back mandatory scanning of animals to see if they are microchipped following a death on the road, as happens in Cornwall and Devon.
Stourbridge MP Margot James told the Commons: "I lost a dog on the road when I was a child, a Great Dane called Max. I have never forgotten him, but at least we knew within 24 hours or less, which saved a lot of additional heartache. Pets, especially dogs and cats, are part of the family. That is the most important reason to get this matter rectified with the national Highways Agency and other relevant authorities."
And Ian Austin, MP for Dudley North, added: "None of my constituents' pets will be scanned in the event of such a tragedy, but checks are still taking place in other parts of the country such as Cornwall and Devon. Those checks should be mandatory across the country." We need to do this for everybody.
Until 2012, it was mandatory for Highways Agency staff to scan collars to trace the owners.
The policy was scrapped following a spending review with Highways Agency contractors encouraged to 'maximise efficiency and value for money for the taxpayer'.
