The government has backed a law to stop people who attack police dogs and horses from claiming self-defence.

Environment Secretary Michael Gove has given his support to a so-called “Finn’s law”, due to be debated in the House of Commons on Friday. It is named after police dog Finn, who needed surgery when he was stabbed in October 2016.

Conservative MP Sir Oliver Heald has tabled the Animal Welfare (Service Animals) Bill. But it stood little chance of becoming law without government support. Announcing his backing, Mr Gove said: “This bill will offer stronger protection for the many brave service animals that help to protect us.”

The bill would amend a 2006 Animal Welfare Act to address concerns about defendants’ ability to claim they were justified in using physical force to protect themselves.

Sir Oliver said he was “delighted” at receiving government support and was now looking forward to the legislation passing through parliament. “This is a good day for all of our brave service animals,” he said.

Finn’s handler PC Dave Wardell, from Hertfordshire, said the dog – now retired – saved his life when a robbery suspect they were pursuing turned on them with a knife in 2016. Finn was stabbed in the chest and head, but did not let go until reinforcements arrived, and was initially thought unlikely to survive. But while the suspect was charged with causing actual bodily harm in relation to wounds to PC Wardell’s hand, he faced only criminal damage charges over Finn’s injuries.

PC Wardell said: “When Finn was seriously injured it didn’t seem right to me or the public that he was seen as an inanimate object or property, in law.”