Lincolnshire Police and Crime Commissioner calls for changes to law in relation to crossbows after Boston puppy attack

The county’s police and crime commissioner is calling for a crossbow licensing scheme to be introduced following a cruel attack in which a puppy was shot and abandoned by the side of the road

Marc Jones says it is ‘ridiculous’ that people who own crossbows do not have to undergo similar checks to those with guns and would support move to close the legal loophole.

A 10-month-old female Belgian shepherd type breed, who is believed to be called Narla, was found by a member of the public with a bolt in her leg and chained up at the junction of Sibsey Road and Pilleys Lane in Boston last Tuesday (17 September).

Mr Jones said: “Under the current law anyone over the age of 18 can buy and own a crossbow and are not required to have a license. Since crossbows are clearly as lethal as other firearms I believe this legislation needs to be reviewed and a licensing scheme introduced as quickly as possible.

“Here in Lincolnshire all gun holders undergo medical checks to ensure they are fit to hold a license, and I see no reason why crossbows should be any different – and recent events only highlight how ridiculous this discrepancy is.

“I would support any moves to close this loophole as a critical step to protect all residents.”

The RSPCA has now launched an investigation into this horrendously cruel act on the puppy and the charity has followed up the details on the dog’s microchip but has been unable to find the person responsible for this attack.

The vets had removed the bolt from the puppy’s leg and she is now recovering from the incident. Depite her ordeal she is a friendly dog who loves head scratches, according to RSPCA inspectors.

Weapon attacks on animals have become more common - with the RSPCA seeing a 23% rise in reports about the number of animals targeted last year, compared with 2022.

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