The Mayhew was saddened to hear about the death of a young girl in Blackburn last night and our thoughts are with the friends and family affected by this terrible incident.

This case once again reinforces the urgent need to tackle irresponsible dog ownership. At present it is far too easy to obtain a dog without taking into consideration the commitment required in owning one.

People need to understand and research a dog’s behaviour, its needs and requirements, ensure it is well-socialised and secure in the family environment. The Mayhew would never recommend that a dog is left unsupervised with children and owners must take the necessary steps to ensure that their dog does not present a danger to people, other animals or itself.

The Mayhew believes there should be more regulation of pet ownership including a system of ownership registration, in order to help prevent the tragic scenario we keep seeing being repeated