Handlers and K-9s in the United Kingdom are welcoming a new law that went into effect earlier this week that significantly increases the maximum penalty for offenders who attack a service dog.
According to BBC News, Finn's Law changes the status of K-9s from "agency property" to "colleagues and protectors," thus enabling prosecutors to pursue much stiffer penalties during criminal prosecution.
The law was named for—and inspired by—a service dog named Finn, who was stabbed and badly wounded in 2016. Finn and his handler—Officer Dave Wardell—had been responding to a robbery call.
The law also applies to police horses.
