The online petition is now at 𝟗𝟎 𝐬𝐢𝐠𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞𝐬.

Numerous people at the Shire have now also been formally contacted and put on notice about the petition, including the 𝐒𝐡𝐢𝐫𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐫𝐝𝐬 𝐢𝐧𝐛𝐨𝐱, 𝐏𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐌𝐜𝐊𝐞𝐨𝐰𝐧, 𝐃𝐞𝐩𝐮𝐭𝐲 𝐏𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐃𝐢𝐯𝐚𝐥, and councillors 𝐕𝐚𝐧 𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐇𝐞𝐲𝐝𝐞𝐧, 𝐌𝐚𝐝𝐚𝐜𝐬𝐢, 𝐌𝐜𝐂𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐢𝐜𝐤, 𝐏𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐫, and 𝐌𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐬.

Yes, the formal public submission period has now closed. But that does 𝐧𝐨𝐭 mean the conversation should stop, and it does 𝐧𝐨𝐭 mean pressure should come off.

If anything, now is the time to keep that pressure on the Shire and make it clear that bad law should not be adopted just because the calendar has ticked over.

For me, this has never been about causing noise for the sake of it. It has been about trying to stop a narrow, blunt, short-sighted approach from becoming law without proper scrutiny.

And there is a bigger point here too.

This is not just about one Shire.

The 𝐖𝐀 𝐃𝐨𝐠 𝐀𝐜𝐭 𝐢𝐭𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐟 𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐝𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐞 𝐛𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐨 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟔. The world has changed. Communities have changed. The way people live with dogs has changed. The law needs to catch up with modern reality, modern community life, and modern understanding of the role dogs play in wellbeing, companionship, and connection.

So while the local submission window may have closed, the issue is still alive.

Please keep talking about it. Keep sharing it. Keep asking questions. Keep letting the Shire know that people are paying attention.

This has already shown that people do care.

And for that, thank you.

𝐁𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐫𝐮𝐥𝐞𝐬. 𝐍𝐨𝐭 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐫𝐮𝐥𝐞𝐬.