Our for all political parties ahead of the 2016 Scottish Parliament elections www.bluecross.org.uk
INTRODUCTION ABOUT US Sick, injured and homeless pets have relied on us since 1897. Abandoned or unwanted, ill or injured, pets turn to us for help every year. Our doors are always open to them, and with your support, they always will be. Each year, thousands of cats, dogs, small pets and horses turn to our animal hospitals, clinics and rehoming services for treatment and to fi nd them the happy homes they deserve. In the last 10 years real progress has been made by the Scottish Government on animal welfare issues. Measures such as the introduction of the Animal Health and Welfare (Scotland) Act 2006, the Licensing of Animal Dealers (Young Cats and Young Dogs (Scotland) Regulations 2009 and the new Microchipping of Dogs (Scotland) Regulations 2016 which came into force in April have made, and will continue to make, a difference to pets in Scotland. Almost half of British households (46%) own around 58 million pets between them. In Scotland, it is estimated that around 17% of the population owns a cat and 22% of the population owns a dog. 1 There are approximately 640,000 dogs in Scotland. 2
& Methods of getting a pet are changing. Many people now go online to purchase a pet rather than to a high street pet store or from an ad in the local paper or pinned on a notice board. In 2014, 80% of Scottish households reported having internet access a 42% increase since 2003.3 Increasingly people are using the internet as a means to purchase their pets. The Pet Animals Act 1951, which regulates the sale of animals, fails to make direct reference to online sales as it was written long before the advent of the internet. Defra has recently announced it will be looking to amend legislation to ensure it takes internet sales into account. We would like to see Scotland follow suit to ensure animals sold over the internet are adequately protected. We are seeing an increasingly diverse range of pets being kept and sold across the UK.4 We are concerned that the ready availability of exotic pets misrepresents the animals as easy to keep. Owners may lack the knowledge and expertise to meet the complex environmental and welfare needs of the animal. We believe that many species kept as exotic pets are not suitable to be kept in a home environment. We welcome the Scottish Government s commitment to a review of the breeding, trade and keeping of exotic animals as pets in Scotland and urge the Minister to undertake the review as soon as possible. We would like care sheets and speciesspecific information to be made a legal requirement, with sellers having a duty to provide them to customers at the point of sale. This would help to ensure that prospective owners are fully aware of the specific housing, temperature, humidity, lighting, dietary and nutritional requirements their pet may need and will help them make an informed decision on whether that animal is a suitable choice. AT THE CLICK OF A BUTTON Teddy was found wandering a graveyard after being abandoned by his owner. Fortunately, he was taken to one of our animal hospitals so Blue Cross vets could give him specialist care. Bearded dragons are one of the most popular exotic pets to buy online in the UK. Educating the pet owners of tomorrow is a challenge that Blue Cross takes extremely seriously. Our free talks are helping children and young people to become responsible pet owners of the future. As a charity we work hard to promote responsible pet ownership, whether it s by giving advice on health and welfare, training or choosing the right pet for your lifestyle. Blue Cross welcomed the Scottish Government s ban on tail docking. We were therefore disappointed to see that there are plans to consult on the possibility of an exemption for working dogs. We would like to see the ban remain in its entirety due to the significant potential for suffering and the difficulties in establishing the validity of any exemption claims. Blue Cross would like to see a complete ban in Scotland on the sale and use of electronic shock collars and other aversive training methods. These methods continue to be used despite many scientific studies including those funded by Defra showing a detrimental impact on a dog s welfare. We were pleased to see the Scottish Government issue a consultation on the use of electronic training aids earlier this year and hope that Scotland will follow the Welsh Government in banning their use. Organisations large and small rehome and rehabilitate thousands of pets on a daily basis up and down the country. Blue Cross alone rehomed over 9,000 pets in 2015. However, with no regulation of such activities there are occasions where well-meaning individuals become overwhelmed and struggle to provide for the welfare needs of the animals in their care. Blue Cross would like to see statutory regulation to ensure all organisations provide the best possible care for pets and prevent further suffering when a facility is struggling to cope. Blue Cross would like to see the topics of animal welfare and staying safe around dogs made a compulsory part of the Curriculum for Excellence in Scottish schools. We believe that more education in schools to encourage and teach children to stay safe around dogs could help increase responsible ownership across Scotland. In October 2015, Blue Cross piloted our education work on dog safety in Scotland, contacting 22 schools within one local authority to offer talks on this issue. As of January 2016, 27% of the schools (approximately 1,300 children) had requested a visit and we have plans to take the initiative forward in other areas of Scotland. Ensuring the topic of animal welfare is on the curriculum would provide an opportunity to educate young people about their duty of care to animals, as set out in Section 24 of the Animal Health and Welfare (Scotland) Act 2006. 300,000 SCHOOL CHILDREN REACHED BY OUR EDUCATION TEAM IN TOTAL NEGLECTED Tommy was in a horrendous state when he was found. He had pressure sores, urine scald burns on his limbs and was badly emaciated with wasting muscles. The Staffordshire bull terrier had been so badly neglected that he was only half his recommended bodyweight. When we found out about Tommy s plight, we offered to take him in and treated him. Blue Cross has partnered with a number of leading animal welfare organisations in Scotland to ask all candidates to make the following pledge: I pledge to do more for Scotland s animals in the next Parliament. More to promote the highest standards of welfare so that all Scotland s animals can enjoy a good life. More to protect all animals in Scotland from cruelty. More to educate the public about responsible pet ownership.
Animal welfare, staying safe around dogs and responsible ownership to become mandatory school curriculum topics. Government to promote animal welfare education programmes offered by the third sector WITH ANIMAL WELFARE BEING A FULLY DEVOLVED ISSUE THE SCOTTISH GOVERNMENT HAS A REAL OPPORTUNITY TO IMPROVE THE LIVES OF PETS AND HELP PET OWNERS ACROSS SCOTLAND. 57,450 YOUNG PEOPLE ATTENDED OUR EDUCATIONAL TALKS LAST YEAR 50, 0 0 0 Ban on electronic shock collars and other aversive training methods Statutory regulations of sanctuaries and rehoming organisations No amendments to current legislation relating to tail docking. We would like to see the ban remain in its entirety. THE NUMBER OF ADVERTS FOR ANIMALS FOR SALE ON ANY ONE CLASSIFIED SITE AT ANY ONE TIMEAR UN ADEG 91 % OF DOG TRAINERS THAT TOOK PART IN A SURVEY BY CHARITY ONEKIND SUPPORT A BAN ON SHOCK COLLARS5 SOLD Review and amend Pet Animals Act 1951 to bring it up to date To undertake a review of breeding, trade and keeping of exotic pets across Scotland Support our calls for Scottish Parliament to do more for Scotland s animals in the next session at Holyrood A SURVEY SHOWED THAT 87% OF THE SCOTTISH PUBLIC WOULD SUPPORT THE INTRODUCTION OF REGULATION TO PROTECT PETS THAT ARE TRADED ONLINE6 WWW.BLUECROSS.ORG.UK WE CAN T STOP NOW. MUCH MORE NEEDS TO BE DONE TO MAKE SURE PETS ARE HAPPY AND HEALTHY.
BLUE CROSS PUBLIC AFFAIRS 7 Hugh Street, London SW1V 1QG 020 7932 4060 publicaffairs@bluecross.org.uk www.bluecross.org.uk 1 PFMA Pet Population 2015. 2 The Scottish Government (2013). Promoting responsible dog ownership in Scotland: microchipping and other measures. Available online at: http://www.gov.scot/publications/2013/12/6115/2t 3 The Scottish Government (2015). Scotland s People Annual Report: Results from the 2014 Scottish Household Survey. Available online at: www.gov.scot Publications/2015/08/3720/0 4 Born Free Foundation & Blue Cross (2015). One Click Away; an investigation into the online sale of exotic animals as pets. Available online at: www.gov.scot/publications/2013/12/6115/2 5 OneKind (2016). Scotland should ban shock collars. Available online at http://www.onekind.org/onekindblog/article/ dog_trainers_agree_scotland_should_ban_shock_collars 6 Figures from YouGov Plc Survey commissioned by Blue Cross, One Kind, Cats Protection, PDSA, Dogs Trust, WLeague Against Cruel Sports (March 2016). Total sample size was 1,009 adults.