25,000 people sign Chelmsley Wood family's petition

FAMILY PET: 18-month-old Black Foot was hit by a car and
killed, leaving her owners heartbroken.

THE sad death of a much-loved family pet has led a Chelmsley Wood family to campaign for a change in the law.

More than 25,000 people from around the country have signed the online petition launched by Daniella Catton, whose cat Black Foot was hit by a car and killed last month.

The collision was witnessed by Daniella and her partner Andy, who were in the garden at the time. To their dismay, the motorist, who is understood to have been driving a private hire cab, did not stop at the scene.

Now the 32-year-old is calling for highway laws to be overhauled, so that drivers are required to stop and report a collision involving a cat.

At present, the Road Traffic Act requires a driver to contact police if they hit a dog or farm animal, but there is no obligation if they run over a cat or wild animal.

Daniella said that the existing legislation is “outdated” and needs to be changed.

“The ‘Black Foot Law’ will ensure that all cats are treated with the same consideration as dogs, sheep, cattle and other livestock. Cats are not vermin!”

The incident was captured on CCTV and reported to police and Solihull Council on September 2.

A council spokesman said: “The CCTV was brought to the attention of our Licensing Team, however as only the side of the vehicle was recorded it was not possible to positively identify the vehicle or driver involved. Therefore we are not able to take any further action.”

You can sign Daniella’s petition, which she plans to hand in to Parliament, at www.theblackfootlaw.com