Animal charities back public consultation on responsible dog ownership

ANIMAL charities have welcomed the launch of a public consultation on responsible dog ownership in Scotland.

The consultation has been launched by SNP MSP Christine Grahame, who is convenor of Holyrood’s cross party group on Animal Welfare, ahead of her proposed Member’s Bill in the Scottish Parliament.

The Bill would introduce a registration system for breeders, and aims to encourage people to only buy dogs from reputable breeders and not from puppy farms.

Dogs bred on puppy farms are often sold with preventable diseases, painful conditions, and long-term behavioural problems.

Ms Grahame, MSP for Midlothian South, Tweeddale and Lauderdale, said: “Despite many good breeders and advertising campaigns, too many dogs are given up.

“The aim of my proposed bill is to encourage people to think seriously about the responsibilities of dog ownership and to buy from reputable breeders rather than feeding into irresponsible puppy farms with poor conditions and unhealthy dogs.

“Let’s try together to end the misery for these animals and put a stop to the increasingly ruthless illegal puppy trade.”

The bill is supported by several charities, including the Scottish SPCA and OneKind.

Scottish SPCA chief superintendent Mike Flynn said: “As part of our #SayNoToPuppyDealers campaign we are encouraging the public to be responsible sellers and buyers of puppies, and reducing the number of litters before a licence is required would encourage this.

“There is an increasing demand for designer dogs and we hope a registration scheme for anyone providing less than three litters would greatly improve the traceability of pups, should any problems occur.”

Libby Anderson, Policy Advisor at OneKind said: “OneKind is delighted to support Christine Grahame’s Bill, which offers practical solutions to a trade that often treats young animals more like goods than sentient individuals.  Both sellers and buyers need to provide for their puppies’ welfare, but at the same time it’s essential they check that the other party is equally caring and responsible.”

The proposals outlined in the consultation include reducing the threshold for licensing breeders to three litters produced per year for sale and introducing registration for sales by people breeding fewer than three litters per year for sale.

They also consider including transfers other than sales within the regulatory regime, and placing responsibility on both purchaser and vendor to be satisfied that the other party can meet appropriate welfare standards, using a checklist or contract system.

The proposals would see the threshold for a breeding licence to three litters a year.

Ms Anderson added: “The current threshold for requiring a dog breeding licence is five litters a year. OneKind has been calling for this to be reduced to two litters, so the proposed reduction to three is a step in the right direction.”