This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007
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No hiding place for animal cruelty
17/12/2004
The Executive is taking steps to ensure that Scotland does not become a safe haven for those convicted elsewhere in the UK of Animal Cruelty offences.
Rural Development Minister Ross Finnie is using powers under the devolution settlement to encourage the UK government to include provision in the Animal Welfare Bill to ensure that Orders banning individuals from keeping animals by English and Welsh courts are enforceable in Scotland.
Scottish Ministers also propose to include, in the Executive's own Animal Welfare Bill, due to be published in Spring 2005, a duty on those selling animals to provide new owners with detailed instruction on their care and welfare.
Mr Finnie said:
"Cruelty and neglect, whether through ignorance or more sinister reason, will not be tolerated in Scotland.
"It is crucial that punishments for mistreating animals are reciprocal across all administrations. This will ensure that enforcement agencies can more easily keep track of those disqualified from keeping animals as well as avoiding situations where crimes of cruelty can be repeated.
"There should also be a duty on those selling pets to ensure that new owners are educated on the proper care of those animals. This, I hope, would reduce the number of pets abandoned by their owners due to an inability to care for them properly."
Scottish SPCA Superintendent Mike Flynn said:
" The SSPCA welcomes Mr Finnie's commitment to improving animal welfare in Scotland, and in particular the emphasis upon a 'duty of care' both for animal owners and those selling animals as pets.
"During the Christmas period last year, over 600 dogs and cats were brought into the Society's Animal Welfare Centres. People buy animals at this time of year as presents without recognising the commitment and responsibility that owning an animal requires.
"We are hopeful that the proposed Animal Welfare Bill will prevent this type of neglect, both at Christmas and at other times."
Mr Finnie is to seek a Sewell Motion giving the Department for the Environment Food and Rural Affairs in Westminster the power to ensure that their proposed Animal Welfare Bill makes disqualification orders made by English or Welsh courts applicable in Scotland.
The Executive will publish its own Draft Animal Welfare Bill in Spring 2005 which will contain a requirement on those selling animals to ensure that the new owners know how to properly care for them.
This would involve pet shops and other outlets providing information fact sheets and other advice to those purchasing pets.