Ban the Use of Dogs by Private Security Companies in the UK
The Issue
The problem
Across the UK, private security companies use dogs to guard commercial premises, vacant buildings and construction sites. These animals are routinely confined for long shifts, kept inside vehicles, and left in dangerous temperatures with minimal oversight. Because this work is unregulated in welfare terms, the conditions a security dog endures depend entirely on the individual contractor, and there is no proactive inspection to prevent suffering before it happens.
The law does not protect them in practice
Under Section 9 of the Animal Welfare Act 2006, anyone responsible for an animal has a legal duty to provide a suitable environment and protect it from pain, suffering, injury and disease. Guard dogs are defined under the Guard Dogs Act 1975 and are covered by the Animal Welfare Act — yet in practice these protections are reactive. Enforcement happens only after an animal has already suffered, and often only if a member of the public reports it. There are no binding, enforceable operating standards specific to how private security dogs are housed, transported and deployed.
A dog left confined in a vehicle in high heat can suffer heatstroke and die within a short time, because dogs cannot cool themselves as humans do. Yet nothing in current law proactively prevents a security dog being kept this way for a full working shift.
Humane alternatives already exist and are widely used
CCTV, alarm systems, remote monitoring, secure fencing and human patrols all provide effective site security without confining a living animal. These are proven, and in many cases cheaper over time. There is no operational necessity that requires a sentient animal to be used as security equipment.
What we are asking for
We call on the Government to ban the use of dogs by private security companies, and to require the industry to adopt non-animal security measures. A dog is not equipment. It is a sentient animal whose welfare needs cannot be met chained to a security role.
This petition concerns private commercial security only. It does not relate to police, military or other service dogs, which operate under separate handling and welfare frameworks.
Sign and share to end this practice for good.
70
The Issue
The problem
Across the UK, private security companies use dogs to guard commercial premises, vacant buildings and construction sites. These animals are routinely confined for long shifts, kept inside vehicles, and left in dangerous temperatures with minimal oversight. Because this work is unregulated in welfare terms, the conditions a security dog endures depend entirely on the individual contractor, and there is no proactive inspection to prevent suffering before it happens.
The law does not protect them in practice
Under Section 9 of the Animal Welfare Act 2006, anyone responsible for an animal has a legal duty to provide a suitable environment and protect it from pain, suffering, injury and disease. Guard dogs are defined under the Guard Dogs Act 1975 and are covered by the Animal Welfare Act — yet in practice these protections are reactive. Enforcement happens only after an animal has already suffered, and often only if a member of the public reports it. There are no binding, enforceable operating standards specific to how private security dogs are housed, transported and deployed.
A dog left confined in a vehicle in high heat can suffer heatstroke and die within a short time, because dogs cannot cool themselves as humans do. Yet nothing in current law proactively prevents a security dog being kept this way for a full working shift.
Humane alternatives already exist and are widely used
CCTV, alarm systems, remote monitoring, secure fencing and human patrols all provide effective site security without confining a living animal. These are proven, and in many cases cheaper over time. There is no operational necessity that requires a sentient animal to be used as security equipment.
What we are asking for
We call on the Government to ban the use of dogs by private security companies, and to require the industry to adopt non-animal security measures. A dog is not equipment. It is a sentient animal whose welfare needs cannot be met chained to a security role.
This petition concerns private commercial security only. It does not relate to police, military or other service dogs, which operate under separate handling and welfare frameworks.
Sign and share to end this practice for good.
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Petition created on 16 July 2026