“Bittersweet”: Mother of Jack Lis recognised for campaign efforts in meeting with Prime Minister

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Emma Whitfield, mother to ten-year-old Jack Lis who died following a dog attack in 2021, has met with Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, where she discussed dangerous dog laws and was handed a campaigning award.

Jack, from Penyrheol, was killed by an XL American Bully called Beast, which was shot dead by firearms officers after an attack at a friends house.

Since losing her son, Ms Whitfield has campaigned tirelessly for change, and has previously spoken at the Senedd and Westminster to try and get decision makers on her side.

She has had success doing so. Since Jack’s passing, the XL American Bully has been banned, and Caerphilly County Borough rolled-out its ‘LEAD’ initiative in an attempt to end dangerous dog attacks.

Ms Whitfield was invited to Downing Street to speak to the Prime Minister, and was handed the Points of Light award for her campaigning efforts since losing Jack.

Described as a “bittersweet” moment in a post on social media, Ms Whitfield said: “Last week I was somewhere I never imagined I’d ever get the chance to be – No. 10 Downing Street.

“I was given the chance to speak to the Prime Minister about the work I had been doing and to speak about the ban on XL Bully dogs.

“I stayed true to myself and more importantly, true to Jack. We spoke about my thoughts on the ban and the things my campaigning had asked for.”

Ms Whitfield went on to say that whilst a ban on the XL Bully wasn’t something she specifically campaigned for, as she looked to focus on education and restrictions around breeding, she welcomed the ban nonetheless.

She added: “At the end of the meeting I was presented with the Points of Light award, something I wasn’t expecting at all.

“It was a bittersweet moment – I was glad that the things I had said were heard, the work I’d been doing was recognised, but at the same time I was still feeling pain, as ultimately the reason I was there was because I’d lost Jack.”