Closure for missing pet owners

A mongst the hulaballo and maelstrom of the EU Referendum campaign '“ and believe me it's a family at war in Westminster and I'll be glad when it's done and dusted '“ one takes comfort in the little things in life that are nothing to do with party politics but contribute to making our area just a little bit better and some folk a bit happier.
Stewart Jackson MP's Westminster Life column in the Peterborough Telegraph - peterboroughtoday.co.ukStewart Jackson MP's Westminster Life column in the Peterborough Telegraph - peterboroughtoday.co.uk
Stewart Jackson MP's Westminster Life column in the Peterborough Telegraph - peterboroughtoday.co.uk

And this week, I had one of those little victories to make me smile. You could summarise it as pets and chips.

The British love their pets, get very attached to them and they’re part of the family – I speak as a cat owner. Our cat Sweetie is part of our family with a mischievous personality and an idiosyncratric character.

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But what happens if your pet leaves home and never comes back? The upset, distress, worry would be very significant for many people particularly for young children.

At the time of writing, over 160 Peterborough pets are missing.

Until now, what has happened to people in Peterborough is that they never see their pet again: Mostly they’re knocked over and killed by a vehicle on a road and Amey’s Streetcare Service take the body to the city council depot, log the details of the animal and location and wait for an owner to contact before disposing of the body within a month. Often, with or without a “chip” fitted by a vet, or owner contact, the pet owners might never know what has happened to their much loved pet.

So, after constituents raised this with me, I took the matter up with Amey and to their great credit, they promptly reviewed the policy with Peterborough City Council and will now proactively contact owners of any deceased animals and will register on the Petlog website, so that the worry and trauma can be eased 
just a little bit in trying 
times.

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This should ensure animals can be reunited with their owners and people will have a bit of “closure”.

I know it’s not as important as the UK’s role as a global trading nation in the world but all politics is local and MPs are there to take up the little cases and well as the big causes.

For more information check out www.peterboroughslostpets.co.uk