'My ex killed my dog. Now I want a law change'

Peggy was unable to escape after Louise Simpson's ex-partner set her house ablaze

A woman has called for the law to be changed to better protect pets after her abusive ex-partner attempted to burn down her house, killing her dog.

After subjecting Louise Simpson to a series of violent attacks in 2024, Adrian West tried to burn down her home in Crawley, West Sussex, killing her British Bulldog, Peggy. He was jailed for six years and three months.

Ms Simpson called for the law to consider companion animals, like dogs and cats, as sentient beings rather than property as they are currently treated.

The Ministry of Justice said it had no plans to change the law.

A change in the law would offer pets more protection and allow for stronger sentencing if they were criminally harmed, Ms Simpson said.

The 53-year-old, who designed a tattoo of Peggy and had her ashes mixed into the ink, called the three-year-old dog her "best friend".

"She was my absolute world. She was with me all the time. I adored her," she said.

"I would give up everything I lost to get her back."

Sussex Police said nobody was harmed in the fire, which happened in September 2024

After asking West to leave her house in September, Ms Simpson said he attempted to burn down her house while she was napping with Peggy upstairs.

"The next thing I knew, my neighbours were banging on the door saying the house was on fire," she said.

"I was trying to get her out, but she [Peggy] was so scared. She kept running away. I just could not get hold of her."

Ms Simpson said attempts to resuscitate Peggy were "too late", adding she was "completely and utterly broken".

Adrian West was sentenced to six years and three months in prison

West, 61, of no fixed address, pleaded guilty to arson with intent, criminal damage, non-fatal strangulation, common assault and two counts of actual bodily harm.

But Ms Simpson, who said her home in Creasys Drive was destroyed, complained there was "devastatingly" no specific charge for Peggy's death.

"She's classed as property under the law, so she's given as much value as a bookcase, TV, bed or washing machine," she added.

But Ms Simpson said that Peggy was "not an object. She was a living, breathing, sentient being with feelings".

"I want the law to reflect that," she added.

A petition calling for a law change had attracted 15,000 signatures as of 18:00 BST on Monday.