EVERY time there’s a horrific report of someone being badly hurt or even killed by dogs it’s followed by calls for changes in the law.

This is understandable but, unfortunately, rarely sustained. Then it’s on to the next time that a similar scenario happens, and we’re outraged again. Now, Bolton MP Julie Hilling is trying to make the registration of dogs compulsory for all owners following the tragic death of Atherton 14 year-old Jade Lomas Anderson.

Jade was killed by four dogs in a neighbour’s home last year in a case that shocked the nation. Since then, Ms Hilling has been campaigning for tighter dog control laws.

Her bill would see a reintroduction of dog licences when owner would register their pets for a fee. She wants more responsible dog ownership to prevent deaths like Jade’s, and Jade’s stepfather, Michael Anderson, has backed this. At Jade’s inquest, coroner Alan Walsh said he was also in favour of a return to dog licensing.

Ms Hilling points to the dangers of taking a dog away from its mother too soon and before it’s properly socialised. The breeding, importing and selling of dogs would all be covered in new legislation. She also urges people to choose “the right dog for their living environment and not have too many dogs in a household.”

She’s right on several counts and it is to the MP’s great credit that she has continued to campaign for these changes. Too often, people acquire a dog for all the wrong reasons and then fail to look after it.

Dogs need to be properly fed and exercised. In the case of the dogs that killed Jade, their owner could not remember when she had last exercised them. They need looking after appropriately but, unfortunately, it’s a commitment that not every owner seems prepared to make.

Too many owners are lazy and selfish and refuse to care for their pets, seeing them simply as possessions with which they can do what they like. Sadly, they are living, breathing, feeling entities and predicting what happens next is impossible.

The proposed changes could generate income that could be used to fund the enforcement of conditions and penalties on owners who fail to care for their dogs properly. The bill has its second reading in the House of Commons on January 9. We can only hope that, finally, commonsense prevails and it gets adopted.