(Image: Supplied)
A legal expert in York has won thousands for a national innovation award.
Rachel Roche, a solicitor and founder of Roche Legal, was selected as one of 61 winners in the Innovate UK Women in Innovation Awards.
She received the award for her development of PetPact, a digital platform designed to help pet owners plan for their animals’ future care.
PetPact allows owners to name an animal guardian and set out clear care instructions, ensuring their pets are protected if they become seriously ill, die or separate from a partner.
Roche was selected from a record 1,590 applicants, earning £75,000 in funding and a year-long programme of business support and training.
Ms Roche said: "Like me, every pet owner hopes they will always be there to care for their furry, feathered or scaled friend, but life is unpredictable.
"Currently, your dog has the same legal status as your sofa, but nobody grieves for the loss of a sofa.
"We plan carefully for our children and finances, and the law should let us do the same for the animals who are part of our families."
PetPact was also chosen for Innovate UK’s 2025 Global Incubator Programme, giving the business an opportunity to grow internationally through Canada’s Legal Innovation Zone.
Roche is also engaging with parliamentarians and legal reform groups as momentum builds for changes to pet law.
Danny Chambers, MP for Winchester and a veterinary surgeon, said: "As a vet, I have seen how deeply people love their animals, but our law still treats pets as property.
"Initiatives like PetPact help owners plan properly for their pets' care and show why it's time the law caught up with the way families really feel about their animals."
PetPact offers a legal solution for the estimated 62 per cent of UK households that own one of the country's 36.5 million pets.