A Plaid Cymru Senedd Member has welcomed an initiative aimed to promoting responsible dog ownership.

Peredur Owen Griffiths MS attended the launch of Safer Caerffili LEAD (Local Environmental Awareness on Dogs) at the Caerffili County Borough Chamber.

Also in attendance was Emma Whitfield whose son Jack Lis was fatally wounded in an attack by an XL Bully dog in Penyrheol in November 2021. A year later, 83-year-old Shirley Patrick was mauled by a dog in Penyrheol and later died in hospital from her injuries.

Peredur said the launch was a culmination of hard work in the community of Penyrheol by a number of people.

“I am hopeful that this initiative can have a real impact across a wide number of communities but particularly in Penyrheol which has been marked by a number of tragic incidents involving aggressive dogs,” said Peredur.

“Much of this has been driven by Emma Whitfield’s tenacity and bravery for her incredible campaigning work in this field following the most awful, personal tragedy.

“She is a real inspiration.

“I also want to salute Councillor Skivens who has been at the fore of driving this project, bringing the community, police, local authority officers and a number of animal welfare charities together to get to the point where we are today.”

Peredur added: “We will continue to champion this cause within the Senedd and look at ways in which we can support this project within the framework of Welsh law.” 

Councillor Skivens said: “The drive has been in recognition in what happened with Jack Lis and Shirley Patrick. I don’t want that situation to happen to anybody else.

“These incidents have had a huge impact on the community. If you make the decision to own large, aggressive dogs then you must be in control of them.”

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