The public “needs reassurance” from the Scottish Government after failure to include animal welfare reforms in their pre-election manifesto, an animal welfare charity has said.
Scottish animal welfare charity OneKind has written to the Scottish Government’s Programme for Government team to urge ministers to make animal welfare a priority in this parliamentary session.
The charity has said that their call has come as there were no animal welfare commitments in the previous Programme for Government and the SNP’s manifesto ahead of the elections did not include any animal welfare commitments.
Jason Rose, chief executive of OneKind, said that Animal welfare is a “key concern to Scots” and said the public “needs reassurance” from the Scottish Government.
Issues such as the use of farrowing cages for mother pigs, the trade in wild animals being kept as ‘exotic pets’, and outdated wildlife protections are matters of growing public concern
He said: “Scotland has made important progress on animal welfare in recent years, but there is much more to do.
“Animal welfare is a key concern to Scots and the public needs reassurance that the recent manifesto does not indicate a weakening of the Scottish Government’s commitment to improving animal welfare.”
The charity is calling for an end to the use of farrowing crates for mother pigs and a commitment to tackle the ‘exotic pet’ trade by introducing a permitted list of species that can legally be kept as pets.
It is also calling on the government to update Scotland’s animal welfare and wildlife laws to include a better understanding of animal sentience and welfare, and to be more consistent and enforceable.
Mr Rose continued: “Issues such as the use of farrowing cages for mother pigs, the trade in wild animals being kept as ‘exotic pets’, and outdated wildlife protections are matters of growing public concern.
The Scottish Government is committed to improving and protecting animal welfare. Most recently we have agreed to combine with the UK Government on joint consultations for the phasing out of cages for laying hens, farrowing crates for pigs and improved welfare for lambs
“Meaningful action in these areas would demonstrate Scotland’s commitment to high welfare standards and to the wellbeing of animals and reflecting the values of Scots.”
A Scottish Government spokesperson said: “The Scottish Government is committed to improving and protecting animal welfare.
“Most recently we have agreed to combine with the UK Government on joint consultations for the phasing out of cages for laying hens, farrowing crates for pigs and improved welfare for lambs.
“The Animal Welfare (Scotland) Act 2006 is clear on the obligations of anyone working with animals to ensure that they are cared for and their needs are met.
“It was further strengthened by Animal and Wildlife (Penalties, Protections and Powers) Act 2020 which brought in penalties for offences under the 2006 Act. Our review of the 2020 Act showed that it was robust and was functioning as intended.”